The Great Moon Hoax of 1835: When a Newspaper Claimed There Was Life on the Moon

What if you read in the morning paper that the Moon was teeming with life?

In August 1835, The New York Sun published sensational stories describing lunar forests, oceans, and even winged humanoids.

Readers were captivated, and the articles quickly became the talk of the town.

But how did such an outlandish claim gain so much traction?

The articles credited the discoveries to the famous astronomer Sir John Herschel, supposedly using a powerful new telescope

in South Africa.

Detailed descriptions included sapphire temples, rivers, and bizarre animals.

The vivid storytelling and scientific jargon made the hoax believable.

People trusted the authority of science, and the Sun’s circulation soared as everyone wanted to read about the

Moon’s wonders.

But the truth was stranger than fiction: the entire story was a fabrication by reporter Richard Adams Locke.

He crafted the tale to satirize wild scientific claims and the public’s gullibility.

Yet, the hoax spiraled out of control, with readers and even rival newspapers accepting the story as fact.

The line between news and entertainment blurred overnight.

Eventually, the truth emerged, but the Great Moon Hoax left a lasting mark.

It showed how easily people could be misled by sensational news and the power of a good story.

The event is now a legendary example of media manipulation, reminding us to question what we read—even if

it’s about bat-people on the Moon!