Lunar Farside from Apollo 11 . ... Credit Copyright: Apollo 11 Crew , NASA Explanation: The far side of the Moon is rough and filled with craters . By comparison, the near side of the Moon, the side we always see, is relatively smooth. ... The light highlands of the far side are older than the dark Maria of the near side. A thinner crust on the near side that allowed for more dark lava flows is thought to be the cause of differences between the two sides. ... NASA Official: Jay Norris. ...