Man in the Moon then cooled, becoming smooth, basalt rock. The near side of the Moon, containing these maria that make up the man, is always facing Earth. This is due to a tidal locking or synchronous orbit. Thought to have occurred because of the gravitational forces partially caused by the Moon's oblong shape, its rotation has slowed to the point where it rotates exactly once on each trip around the Earth. This causes the near side of the Moon to always turn its face toward Earth. Man in the Moon The Man in the Moon refers to any of several pareidolic images of
Solar eclipses on the Moon Solar eclipses on the Moon Solar eclipses on the Moon are caused when the Earth passes in front of the Sun, blocking its light. Viewers on Earth will see a lunar eclipse. The solar eclipses are only seen in the Nearside portion and smaller parts of the Farside where the Earth is seen during librations, making up the visible portion of the Moon and eclipses there are seen during the lunar sunrise and sunset as well as furthermost areas of the Nearside but mainly not in the polar areas of the Moon. As the Moon revolves around the Earth, the