Dennis Spilchuk Poet Verse

Notes About The Poem

Far Side of the Moon

Far Side of the Moon

Winter and summer begin on a solstice
That marks the shortest and longest days of the year;
Spring and fall arrive with the equinox.
When the sun is closest to the equator
And day and night are of equal hours.

Daily, the Earth spins on its 23.5-degree tilted axis
Called its “obliquity” and orbits the sun once a year.
And this orbital plane gives rise to changing positions
That usher in opposite seasons
In the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

The Moon orbits the Earth every month
(Synchronized with its rotational spin on its axis)
And spins at the same speed it orbits the Earth
And explains why the near side of the Moon is always in view
As seen from Earth and the far side remains a mystery.
                                      ***

Notes:
   In October 1959, the USSR spacecraft, Luna 3, transmitted back to Earth the first images of the far side of the Moon (the side unseen from Earth). The Chinese rover Yutu-2 landed on the far side of the Moon on January 3, 2019, and found the lunar soil to be stickier than on the near side facing the Earth.

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Beata Agustin June 11, 2023 at 6:46 PM Thanks for sharing this... exposing your thoughts through your unique poetic style. Meanwhile, I greet you with the love of the Lord, expressed by John 3:16 of the Bible, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Be blessed. Dennis Spilchuk June 12, 2023 at 7:05 AM Thank you for commenting and greetings. I was asked why we never see the dark side of the moon, which inspired me to write an explanation in poetic form.