Original article (in Serbian) was published on 7/4/2026; Author: Stefan Janjić
Several media outlets reported that NASA “published the first photograph of the dark side of the Moon”, citing the White House and NASA’s announcement. However, that “exclusive” happened almost seven decades ago, when, in October 1959, the Soviet Luna 3 recorded the first view of the dark side of our satellite.
The Artemis 2 mission really gave us a great photo, which in a sense is a first: the first in which we see our own planet from the position of the dark side of the Moon. Such an interpretation is also present in the announcement of the White House and NASA, although the text – to be honest – could have been worded more precisely.
When it comes to the first photograph of the “dark side”, NASA itself writes that we should thank Luna 3, launched in October 1959 from Soviet Kazakhstan, for this endeavor. Although the footage was quite grainy, it allowed us to see what was “on the other side“. Since then, we have received photos from that side on several occasions, and they were also taken by the predecessor of the current mission – Artemis 1.
We wrote about the concept of the “dark side of the moon” in our rubric dedicated to common myths and misconceptions – Mythopedia. We call that side “dark” not because it is in eternal darkness (it is certainly illuminated by the Sun), but because we cannot see it from Earth. The moon always faces us on the same side, and the mysterious “upside down” has been seen by only 28 people – including the Artemis 2 mission – with their own eyes.
The incorrect news was reported by B92, Una, Informer, 24 sedam, and Mondo.
