The Great Moon Hoax published by The New York Sun

Publication Context. The New York Sun, a penny daily newspaper, was known for sensational journalism. The Great Moon Hoax, published in August 1835, was a fabricated story about lunar life. It was advertised as a reprint from The Edinburgh Courant, falsely attributed to Sir John Herschel. The Sun never retracted the articles, but admitted fabrication on September 16, 1835.

Attribution and Intent. Authorship is attributed to Richard Adams Locke, a reporter for The Sun in August 1835. His intentions were likely to increase sales through sensationalism and to ridicule extravagant astronomical theories, such as those by Franz von Paula Gruithuisen. Despite Locke's claims, rumors persisted that others were involved in the creation of the articles.

Contemporary Reactions. Edgar Allan Poe claimed the story was a plagiarism of his earlier work, "The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall." The story was reprinted in the New York Transcript in September 1835. A 1836 reprinted edition added a second type of lunar creature, the Vespertiliones, expanding the hoax's narrative.