see the dark side of the moon

The "far side of the moon", the side we don't see from home, is sometimes referred to colloquially as the "dark side of the moon" where "dark" means "unseen" rather than "unlit." In the latter sense, there is no dark side, as both sides of the moon receive equal sunlight. This makes it more or less impossible to see the "dark" side of the moon if this is taken to mean "unlit", and it is impossible to see the "far" side of the moon from Earth in the sense of "unseen."

see the dark side of the moon (third-person singular simple present sees the dark side of the moon, present participle seeing the dark side of the moon, simple past and past participle saw the dark side of the moon)

1. (idiomatic) To do or experience something exceedingly difficult or rare.
   • 1999 April 21, HiRene23, “The Samurai a Snoozer?”, in alt.tv.highlander (Usenet):

     I gotta say.. some of the opinions expressed are like seeing the dark side of the moon to me (not necessarily a bad thing btw).

   • 2000 February 23, roger gonnet, “Scientology assault on Clearwater continues---St. Pete Times--Pulitzer 1980 1/5 (Series Parts 1-2)”, in alt.religion.scientology (Usenet):

     Examining them is like seeing the dark side of the moon, or stepping through a looking glass.

   • 2014, May Sarton -, At Eighty-Two: A Journal, →ISBN, page 104:

     I am not asking to see the dark side of the moon, God. Only one word.

   • 2017, Selena Gomez, Wolves (song lyrics):

     I've been down the darkest alleys, saw the dark side of the moon to get to you, to get to you.