August 25th 2024.
It might be wise to hold off on planning any trips to the moon in the near future. You see, there are some pretty wild rumors floating around out there. We're talking man-bats, unicorns, and beavers walking around on two legs, all about 240,000 miles away from us right now.
Actually, these rumors have been around for quite some time. Almost 189 years ago, on August 25, 1835, The Sun, a New York newspaper known for being on par with The New York Times, published the first of six articles claiming that life had been discovered on the moon. But don't get too excited, it wasn't little green men. No, these articles described tail-less beavers who walk on two legs, spherical amphibians, and tiny zebras. And let's not forget the other slightly less fantastical creatures, like single-horned goats, small reindeer, and lush forests.
These articles were all written by a man named Dr. Andrew Grant, who claimed to be a colleague of a top astronomer of the day. According to Grant, this astronomer made some incredible discoveries on the moon. The first article began with a sense of awe, describing the impossible feat of making an astronomical discovery. The details that followed were nothing short of remarkable, with lush vegetation and even trees resembling those found in English courtyards. The artist's rendition of these discoveries was truly stunning.
As the week went on, more articles were released, each one revealing even more incredible creatures. From playful goat-like animals to long-beaked cranes, it seemed like the moon was teeming with life. But perhaps the most intriguing of all were the bat people, or "Vespertilio-homo" as they were called in Latin. Described as winged humanoids with a height of four feet and covered in glossy copper-colored hair, these creatures were truly a sight to behold. And according to the articles, they were even more beautiful than angels.
All of these discoveries were credited to a man named John Herschel, an English mathematician and astronomer. He had apparently settled the question of whether or not the moon was inhabited and even solved some major problems in mathematical astronomy. And he did it all using a new and immense telescope, which he hauled all the way from New England to South Africa. The lens alone weighed a whopping seven tons, and the paper claimed that Herschel's findings were published in a supplement from a prestigious journal.
But the discoveries didn't stop there. The articles continued to describe vast oceans, beaches, and even temples on the moon. And let's not forget about the bison roaming around with shades to protect their eyes from the extreme light and dark. It's no surprise that these articles quickly gained popularity, not just in New York, but across the US and Europe. The New York Times even called Herschel's findings "probable and possible," and an Italian publication even ran lithographs of the creatures. Some religious groups even started planning missionary trips to the moon to meet these angelic bat people.
But not everyone was convinced. Some skeptics saw through the hoax from the very beginning. Even Herschel himself joked that his real discoveries wouldn't be as exciting as what was being reported. And as it turns out, the whole thing was just a clever ruse by the editor of The Sun, Richard Adams Locke, to boost sales. He had underestimated the gullibility of the public who were hungry for any news about scientific discoveries. And during this time, when people were eager to learn about new inventions and theories, it's no wonder that these articles were so widely believed.
But not everyone fell for it. Some, like Edgar Allan Poe, the famous poet, thought the whole thing was just too absurd to be true. And in the end, it was revealed that the articles were indeed a hoax. But even today, almost 200 years later, the story of these fantastical creatures on the moon continues to captivate our imaginations.
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