How man-bats, unicorns and mini zebras were ‘discovered on the moon’

Man-bats, unicorns and beavers trotting around on two legs are just some of the things about 240,000 miles away from you right now.

Exactly 189 years ago, on August 25, 1835, the New York newspaper The Sun – said to be in the same league as The New York Times – ran the first of six daily stories claiming that life had been discovered on the moon.

Not lil green men, however. Think tail-less beavers who walk on two legs...