One half of its surface— the half which, thanks to the vagaries of orbital mechanics, always faces Earth— is dominated by dark, smooth expanses of ancient, frozen lava known as maria.
This year, the crew of Ride the Wind 2023 invited 33 participants, including Japanese singer MARiA, who made her breakthrough in China and around the world seven years ago with her song Gokuraku Jodo.
The near side, the side we see from Earth, is divided into two distinct types of regions: highlands, which are heavily cratered, and maria — Latin for “seas” — which are darker and smoother.