It was the summer of 1835. The world was still enchanted by telescopes, comets, and the tantalizing possibility of other worlds teeming with life. The night sky was a mystery waiting to be decoded, and humanity was desperate for news that would lift its gaze beyond the daily grind.
And then came The Great Moon Hoax.
Six articles, published in The Sun, a penny newspaper in New York, claimed that life on the Moon had been discovered—lush forests, sapphire oceans, herds of bison-like creatures, and, most astonishingly, bat-people. Yes, you read that correctly: flying humanoids, complete with wings, frolicking under lunar skies.
The public believed it. Learned men debated it. Sales of the paper skyrocketed. And for a few weeks in 1835, ordinary citizens were absolutely convinced that the Moon was alive with alien neighbors.
Crazy? Absolutely. True? Not a bit. But the story reveals something fascinating about the human mind: our appetite for wonder, our willingness to believe, and our hunger for discovery—even if it’s fake.
The Spark: A Scientist Named Sir John Herschel
The hoax hinged on the reputation of one man: Sir John Herschel, a real British astronomer of immense stature. He had indeed traveled to South Africa that year to set up a new observatory and conduct groundbreaking astronomical research.
The Sun’s articles claimed that Herschel, using an advanced telescope with “hydro-oxygen lenses,” had observed the surface of the Moon in astonishing detail. The supposed telescope could magnify celestial objects up to 42,000 times. Imagine! Readers were told he could see flowers, rivers, temples, and whole civilizations with crystal clarity.
The sheer scientific authority of Herschel’s name lent the story an aura of credibility. If Herschel said it, it had to be true.
The Moon Revealed: Jungles, Unicorns, and Bat-People
According to the newspaper, Herschel’s “discoveries” were staggering:
- Forests of gigantic trees shading the lunar valleys.
- Lakes and oceans, glistening like polished mirrors.
- Animals resembling bison, goats, and unicorns grazing peacefully.
- Towering crystals and alien temples hinting at higher intelligence.
- And, of course, the showstoppers: Vespertilio-homo, the bat-people.
These beings were described as having human-like bodies but with large membranous wings, reddish skin, and the ability to speak. The articles claimed they lived in social harmony, practicing arts, religion, and philosophy.
Imagine a 19th-century reader, with no Netflix, no photographs of space, and only the word of the press to guide them. For many, this was the closest thing to visiting another world.
The Hoaxers Behind the Curtain
Who cooked up this cosmic prank?
The culprit was Richard Adams Locke, a reporter for The Sun. Locke had grown tired of dull, factual reporting and saw an opportunity to both entertain and sell newspapers. The “Moon discoveries” were serialized across six articles in late August 1835, each installment more fantastic than the last.
It worked. Circulation exploded. Competitors scrambled to reprint the stories. Coffeehouses buzzed with heated debates about lunar civilization. Some churches even prepared sermons, speculating about the theological consequences of bat-people.
The genius of the hoax lay in its careful blend of science, imagination, and spectacle. Locke never intended for people to believe it forever—just long enough for the paper to profit and make its mark.
The Cracks Begin to Show
Not everyone was convinced. Skeptical scientists asked practical questions:
- If Herschel’s telescope could see individual animals on the Moon, why hadn’t he mentioned it in his official communications?
- How could water exist on a world with no atmosphere?
- Why had no other astronomers, even with lesser telescopes, noticed anything remotely similar?
Eventually, the truth unraveled. The Sun sheepishly admitted the story was fiction, although they never issued a formal retraction. Herschel himself, who was still busy in South Africa, was reportedly amused but annoyed at being dragged into the lunacy.
By then, however, the damage—or perhaps the entertainment—was done. The public had been fooled, and the Moon had captured imaginations like never before.
Why People Believed
The Great Moon Hoax wasn’t just about gullibility. It reflected something deeper:
- The hunger for wonder. People wanted to believe in new worlds, especially in an age of exploration. If Africa and the Americas had exotic species, why not the Moon?
- Trust in authority. The invocation of Herschel’s name made the claims sound unassailable.
- The power of print. In 1835, newspapers were king. If it was in print, it carried weight.
Doesn’t this sound eerily familiar? Fake news, sensational headlines, viral stories—the 19th century was already rehearsing the tricks we see daily on the internet.
The Legacy of the Hoax
Far from being forgotten, the Moon Hoax became legendary. It gave The Sun newspaper immense popularity and set the stage for sensationalist journalism—the kind Crazy Loco News proudly carries forward today.
It also left behind a fascinating cultural footprint. Writers like Edgar Allan Poe (who was annoyed because he had written a satirical Moon story himself) and later H.G. Wells drew inspiration from the public’s willingness to believe in otherworldly life.
In hindsight, the hoax reminds us of humanity’s unquenchable thirst for the fantastic. When reality feels small, we crave the cosmic.
From Bat-People to Black Holes: Our Modern Obsession
Nearly two centuries later, we haven’t changed much. We’re still pointing telescopes skyward, still asking if we’re alone, still prone to being dazzled by dramatic claims. Instead of bat-people, today’s headlines scream about UFOs, exoplanets in the “Goldilocks Zone,” and the possibility of microbial Martians.
Sure, we have better science now. But the spirit of wonder—the same spark that made people in 1835 believe the Moon was covered in forests and temples—is alive and well.
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The Final Thought
The Great Moon Hoax of 1835 was more than a trick—it was a mirror. It reflected our dreams, our gullibility, and our eternal desire to believe that we are not alone in the universe.
In a way, the hoax wasn’t a lie at all. It was a story so powerful that people wanted it to be true.
And perhaps, somewhere out there in the cosmos, not on our Moon but on another distant world, bat-people really do spread their wings beneath alien skies.
Until then, keep looking up.
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through my links — at no extra cost to you.”
