Caption: An animation illustrating the tidal locking of the Moon to the Earth.

Features:

1. The sizes of and distances between the objects are not-to-scale.

2. The shown orbital motion is relative to the center of the Earth, and so is only approximately relative to the center of mass of the celestial frame of Earth-Moon system which is the "true" orbital motion. Recall celestial frames are NOT in rotation relative to the observable universe.

   Hereafter, by rotation, we mean rotation relative to the observable universe.

3. On the left-hand side of the animation is the FACTUAl case of a tidally locked Moon orbiting the Earth.

4. On the right-hand side of the animation is the counterfactual case of a non-rotating Moon orbiting the Earth.

   In the counterfactual case, all faces of the Moon would be directed toward the Earth every lunar orbital period (i.e., mean lunar sidereal month 27.321661547 days (J2000) ≅ 27.32166 days (to 7 digits) ≅ 27.3 days). Of course, an observer on the Earth would only see the parts of the faces revealed by the lunar phases.

5. Tidally locked means the Moon's axial rotation rate is driven by the Earth's tidal force on the Moon to be equal its orbital rotation rate EXACTLY on average.

6. Tidal locking implies the Moon turns one side to the Earth always as shown in the animation's left-hand side. The side of the Moon we see from the Earth is the near side of the Moon. The side of the Moon we do NOT see from the Earth is the far side of the Moon.

7. Because of the lunar libration, we do see a 59 % of the Moon's surface from the Earth (see Wikipedia: Tidal locking: Occurrence: Earth's Moon), but only about 50 % at one time, of course.