# The Great Moon Hoax of 1835



## Guttersnipe (Feb 11, 2022)

In 1835, the Sun newspaper published an article claiming that Herschel had discovered, via telescope, life on our moon. It was pretty imaginative, as the supposed Lunarians consisted of hairy bat-people (dubbed "Vespertilio homo"), bipedal beavers, telepathic unicorns, and other motley mammals. It was published only one month after Poe's tongue-in-cheek story, "The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall." 









						Great Moon Hoax - Wikipedia
					






					en.m.wikipedia.org
				









						"The Great Moon Hoax" is published in the "New York Sun"
					

On August 25, 1835, the first in a series of six articles announcing the supposed discovery of life on the moon appears in the New York Sun newspaper. Known




					www.history.com
				




You can read the full text here:





						The Great Moon Hoax of 1835 (text)
					

On Tuesday, 25 August 1835, the <i>New York Sun</i> began publishing, in serial form, a long account of lunar discoveries supposedly made by Sir John Herschel. The narrative, which continued over five more days, is considered to be one of the most famous media hoaxes of all time. See <a...




					hoaxes.org
				





I remember reading about it and seeing the sketches in a couple books I read as a kid. Years later, after I was convinced the hoax never existed, I rediscovered it.  I've been in love with it ever since.


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## BAYLOR (Feb 11, 2022)

I wonder if that is  the source to term  Moonbat.


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## sknox (Feb 11, 2022)

Every one of those names are a candidate for my next band.


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## Fiberglass Cyborg (Feb 13, 2022)

And to this day, people STILL believe that there is a moon.

....more seriously- I first came across this while reading about John and Caroline Herschel. J.H.'s reaction was to mildly comment that he wished his work was really that interesting. He did believe that there was probably life on other worlds, though.


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## BAYLOR (Feb 17, 2022)

Fiberglass Cyborg said:


> And to this day, people STILL believe that there is a moon.
> 
> ....more seriously- I first came across this while reading about John and Caroline Herschel. J.H.'s reaction was to mildly comment that he wished his work was really that interesting. He did believe that there was probably life on other worlds, though.



This story would be a  great basis  for Comic Steam Punk Science fiction  novel.   In the story,  it turns out the Lunarians Bats   are quite real and bent on invading Earth . The only man who knows the truth  about the Lunarian's plans and impending invasion , Dr Andrew Grant , the trouble is , nobody believes him.


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## Guttersnipe (Feb 18, 2022)

@BAYLOR I always thought of the batlike Lunarians as peaceful creatures, and find it easier to imagine us invading the moon. I'd say it would make for a great scientific romance. If you go on Google Images and enter "vespertilio homo" there are some pictures of them helping a ship fly.








						Entitled: "Diligenza di ritorno dalla luna" print shows a flying machine returning from the moon. The Great Moon Hoax refers to a series of six articles that were published in The Sun, a New York newspaper, beginning on August 25, 1835, about the sup
					

Download this stock image: Entitled: Diligenza di ritorno dalla luna print shows a flying machine returning from the moon. The Great Moon Hoax refers to a series of six articles that were published in The Sun, a New York newspaper, beginning on August 25, 1835, about the supposed discovery of...




					www.alamy.com


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## Guttersnipe (Feb 18, 2022)

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		https://recursive-occlusion.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F67912963509


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## Pyan (Feb 18, 2022)

How could you tell, through a telescope, that the unicorns were telepathic? This alone would cast doubt on Herschel's observations...


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## Fiberglass Cyborg (Feb 18, 2022)

Pyan said:


> How could you tell, through a telescope, that the unicorns were telepathic? This alone would cast doubt on Herschel's observations...


...by telepathy, presumably?


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## Guttersnipe (Feb 19, 2022)

Pyan said:


> How could you tell, through a telescope, that the unicorns were telepathic? This alone would cast doubt on Herschel's observations...


It was written that the unicorns looked at, and seemed to be aware of, the person watching them.


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