The ‘Great Moon Hoax’ was published by the New York Sun on 25th August, 1835, claiming over six instalments that renowned English astronomer John Herschel had spotted bat-men, unicorns, and bipedal beavers on the lunar surface.

Despite the absurdity of the claims, the tale was so wild and well-written that many readers bought into it. The mastermind behind the hoax, Richard Adam Locke, later tried to justify his actions by claiming it was a satire meant to expose the ridiculousness of some contemporary scientific theories.

Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how the Sun used the horrors of slavery to account for its deception; consider how the story spread all the way to Italy; and reveal why Edgar Allen Poe was particularly unimpressed by the gag…

Further Reading:

• ‘The Great Moon Hoax Was Simply a Sign of Its Time’ (Smithsonian, 2015): https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/great-moon-hoax-was-simply-sign-its-time-180955761/

• ’Belief, Legend, and the Great Moon Hoax | Folklife Today’ (Library of Congress, 2014): https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2014/08/the-great-moon-hoax/

• ’The Great Moon Hoax’ (The Folklorist, 2013): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azlz163nN-A

This episode first aired in 2024

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The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.

Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart

Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2025.

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