May 25, 2021 Lunar libration lets us see more than 50% of the moon. Photos by Manuel Castillo Vela/ EPOD. It’s common knowledge that our moon has a near side and a far side. And most people know that half of the moon always faces Earth, and one half always points away. Does this mean we can only see 50% of the moon’s surface from Earth? No. Over time, it’s possible to see as much as 59% of the moon’s surface, due to a combination of motions – in particular, a slight north-south rocking and east-west wobbling of the moon – known as