Holliday1


 * The Great Moon Hoax of 1835

__Background__ ** "The Great Moon Hoax of 1835 consisted of a series of articles, allegedly reprinted from the nonexistent //Edinburgh Journal of Science//, relating to the discovery of life on the moon by Sir John Herschel, eminent British astronomer, who some time before had gone to the Cape of Good Hope to try out a new type of powerful telescope." ([|R.J. Brown]) The six articles were published each day in the //New York Sun// beginning on August 25, 1835.

Objective: List at least three lunar "discoveries" of Sir John Herschel in 1835 **
 * Title: Life on the Moon: The Great Moon Hoax of 1835

** __Answer__ ** The six articles focused on his telescope, plant and animal life, geologic formations, and temple-building humanoids. Specifically, the articles discussed trees, oceans, beaches, bison, goats, unicorns, bipedal tail-less beavers, and bat-like winged humanoids who built temples. These discoveries were supposedly made with a new type of powerful telescope.

Here is a [|link] to the actual articles from the //New York Sun// in August of 1835.

This one minute [|video] comes from history.com


 * [[image:ushistory8-2:Ruby_Colosseum.jpg caption="1835 lithograph of the Ruby Colosseum"]] ||

References: Boese, Alex. "The Great Moon Hoax." //Museumofhoaxes.com.// Web. 29 September 2009. Brown, R.J. "The Great Moon Hoax of 1835". //Historybuff.com.// Web. 10 September 2009. "This Day in History: 1835". //History.com.// Web. 15 September 2009.