Hi Melanie/List, The side of the Moon that faces the Earth is only ~barely~ shielded by the earth compared to the side facing away from Earth. In fact, I would be surprised if the difference is even detectable as far as cratering density. From the Moon's surface, the earth subtends about 1.9 degrees, so a Full Earth looks over 14 times larger (in "area") than does a Full Moon from earth. While that may seem large, the amount of angular space shielded by the earth is tiny -- about one part in 7000 for any portion of the lunar hemisphere with a view of the earth. In other words, square mile for square mile, if the earth had the Moon's vacuum, its surface would get hit just as often as the Moon's. --Rob
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