I work in aerospace (lunar exploration actually), and everyone involved goes out of their way to always use the term far side and explain to laypeople about it. Regardless of its origin, I've commented on it in conversation at least a dozen times and I don't think I've yet had the other person use the phrase and not also think there is a permanently dark side of the moon.
Online there is often also some pedant who explains "well actually there is a dark side but it changes". Because your last sentence is about sunlight I actually interpreted "dark side of the moon" as the unlit/ lunar nighttime side on the first several reads.
Anyway it can be interpreted at least three ways:
- Referring incorrectly to the far side
- Referring correctly to the far side because actually dark means something else (but it will be interpreted incorrectly anyway)
- Referring to the side currently in lunar nighttime
The terms "near side", "far side", "lunar night" and "lunar day" are much better.
Online there is often also some pedant who explains "well actually there is a dark side but it changes". Because your last sentence is about sunlight I actually interpreted "dark side of the moon" as the unlit/ lunar nighttime side on the first several reads.
Anyway it can be interpreted at least three ways:
- Referring incorrectly to the far side
- Referring correctly to the far side because actually dark means something else (but it will be interpreted incorrectly anyway)
- Referring to the side currently in lunar nighttime
The terms "near side", "far side", "lunar night" and "lunar day" are much better.