The 1835 Newspaper That Reported Bat-Men Living on the Moon
In August 1835, a New York newspaper announced that a famous astronomer had discovered life on the Moon. Forests, strange animals, bat-winged people and mysterious blue-stone temples appeared in the reports. Some editors praised them; others challenged the claims.
Other papers repeated the reports, and the story appeared as a pamphlet. Reprints spread the claims without adding new observations.
There was just one problem. The lunar discoveries were invented, while the articles borrowed the name of a real astronomer.
Vespertilio-homo
Latin for "bat-man." The New York Sun told readers that a famous astronomer had discovered four-foot-tall, bat-winged humanoids living on the Moon. The reports described them walking upright and conversing. They also described a temple of sapphire or another blue stone, without showing who built it. Nearly a hundred years before the comic book character, a penny newspaper created the original bat-man.
1832
The Edinburgh Journal of Science ended under that title in 1832. The Sun claimed new discoveries from it three years later.
6 parts
Six instalments between 25 and 31 August 1835. Each gave readers more of an imaginary Moon.
1 cent
The cost of a copy of the Sun. A low price helped the paper reach more readers.
The Evidence
The Six Articles
An imagined reader checking a report’s source. The original Moon articles and journal pages are not reproduced here.
The Impossible Instrument
The articles described a 24-foot lens weighing 14,826 pounds and claimed magnification of 42,000 times. These were claims in an invented report. Magnification alone does not guarantee clear detail.
The Real Astronomer
Sir John Herschel really was in South Africa with a telescope. His name gave the reports authority, while overseas correspondence took time. His real observations must be checked separately from the newspaper’s inventions.
How the Story Unfolded
The Penny Paper
Benjamin Day founds the New York Sun, selling for just one penny. It becomes the first successful penny newspaper in America.
Herschel Arrives at the Cape
Sir John Herschel arrives at the Cape of Good Hope to catalogue southern hemisphere stars. He is months away from New York by ship.
The First Article
The Sun publishes the first article claiming Herschel has discovered life on the Moon. The series uses his real name to give its invented discoveries authority.
The Bat-Men
The fourth article describes Vespertilio-homo — bat-winged humanoids living on the Moon. The creature descriptions help make the series memorable.
The Rivals Investigate
The Journal of Commerce challenges the reports and accuses the Sun of inventing them to attract attention.
The Sun Defends Its Story
A defence later reprinted with the story attacks doubting editors and offers praise from other papers. It supplies no independent observation.
Herschel Returns
Herschel returns to England after his Cape observations. His papers and actual astronomical work provide a separate record to consult.
The People in This Story
Richard Adams Locke
An English journalist at the New York Sun. He wrote all six articles. Clever, educated, and a gifted storyteller. A satirical motive is one explanation; it does not excuse presenting an invention as scientific reporting.
Benjamin Day
Founder of the New York Sun. He needed sensational stories to sell papers. Whether he knew the articles were fake from the start is still debated — but he never stopped the presses.
Sir John Herschel
One of the world's most respected astronomers. His name was used without permission. Distance delayed correspondence. His genuine scientific work should be checked in his own reports and papers.
The Question That Remains
The Moon reports were invented. They used vivid writing, a real astronomer and a borrowed journal name to look credible. When challenged, the Sun pointed to other newspapers’ praise instead of supplying independent evidence.
Today, many websites can repeat one claim. Tracing the original source and looking for a separate check still matter.
Read the full book to investigate the key clues and competing explanations — then write the correction readers should have received.
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Check the evidence
What the evidence supports
The New York Sun printed six invented Moon reports in 1835. The story borrowed Herschel’s name and a journal title whose publication ended in 1832. A reprinted 1September 1835 defence records contemporary criticism and the Sun’s response.
Where to be careful
A newspaper is evidence of what was printed, not proof of the discovery it describes. Reprints and favourable comments do not count as separate observations. Claims that everyone believed the story or that exact sales were world records need their own evidence.
Explore the sources
These selected sources support this guide and offer further reading. Some are written for adults; explore them with a parent or teacher.
- The Moon Hoax by Richard Adams Locke (1859 reprint of the 1835 story and press comments)
- OCLC WorldCat: The Edinburgh Journal of Science (1824–1832)
- Astronomical Society of Southern Africa: Historical Chronology
- Royal Astronomical Society: Herschel Papers and Manuscripts
The story and illustrations are modern retellings. Imagined scene details are not historical evidence. These sources are a starting point, not citations for every narrative detail.
Evidence guide reviewed .