Randy Chandler
The idea that the moon is made of cheese has been a longstanding myth, with references in literature dating back to the 16th century. While it is uncertain if anyone ever believed this claim, it has persisted for centuries, with NASA even making an April Fool's joke about it in 2002, claiming that the Hubble Space Telescope had confirmed the moon was made of cheese with an expiration date inscribed on its surface. The myth has been referenced in popular culture, including children's shows and movies, and has sparked imaginative explanations from both children and adults. Despite the whimsical notion, scientific evidence, including moon rock samples collected by astronauts, confirms that the moon is not made of cheese but is instead composed of rocks and other materials.
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What You'll Learn
- The Moon is not made of cheese, but rocks
- The Moon-made-of-cheese myth may have originated from a medieval Slavic fable
- NASA has debunked the myth on National Moldy Cheese Day
- The Moon-is-made-of-cheese myth is often referenced in children's media
- The Moon-is-made-of-cheese myth is also referenced in adult media
The Moon is not made of cheese, but rocks
While the idea has been perpetuated in popular culture, with references in children's programs and adult media alike, it lacks scientific support. The scientific community has never endorsed the claim, and it is generally regarded as a humorous concept. In fact, NASA has explicitly debunked the myth on National Moldy Cheese Day in 2019, stating on Twitter that the Moon is not made of cheese.
The Moon is, in fact, composed of rocks, as evidenced by samples collected by astronauts during the Apollo missions. These rocks are estimated to be about 4.5 billion years old, dating back to the formation of the Moon itself. The Moon's composition includes a metallic core, a mantle, and a crust, resembling a rocky planet not unlike Earth itself.
The Moon's resemblance to cheese, with its craters and round shape, has likely contributed to the enduring nature of the myth. Even NASA played into the joke on April Fool's Day in 2002, claiming to have \"proven\" that the Moon was made of cheese, complete with a Photoshopped image of an expiration date on a lunar crater.
While the idea of a Moon made of cheese sparks imagination and whimsy, it is essential to distinguish fact from fiction. The Moon, with its rocky composition, remains a fascinating subject of exploration and study, offering insights into the formation and evolution of our solar system.
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The Moon-made-of-cheese myth may have originated from a medieval Slavic fable
The Moon is not made of cheese. NASA has even collected moon rock samples, which have been dated to be around 4.5 billion years old. These samples indicate that the moon is more like a rocky planet.
However, the myth that the moon is made of cheese has been around for a long time. The idea is often used to indicate a claim so false that no one will believe it, not even on April Fool's Day. While it is unlikely that anyone ever believed the moon was made of cheese, the myth has persisted for millennia.
The earliest record of this notion comes from a medieval Slavic fable about a hungry wolf and a crafty fox. In the fable, the fox convinces the wolf that the moon's reflection on a pond is a block of cheese. The wolf drinks all the water, hoping to get the cheese, but eventually drinks too much and bursts, leaving the fox victorious.
The best-known early written record of the myth is from 1546 and can be found in The Proverbs of John Heywood. In the document, Heywood states, "the moon is made of greene cheese," with “greene” referring to the age of the cheese rather than its color. Over the following century, the phrase became commonly used to refer to human gullibility.
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NASA has debunked the myth on National Moldy Cheese Day
The myth that the moon is made of cheese has been around for a long time, with the earliest record of this idea coming from a medieval Slavic fable about a wolf and a fox. The story goes that a hungry wolf chases a fox, who tricks the wolf into thinking that the moon's reflection on a pond is a block of cheese, and that he must drink all the water to get it. The notion also appears in English literature from the 16th and 17th centuries, including in The Proverbs of John Heywood, where it is used to indicate a claim so false that no one would believe it.
Despite the long-standing nature of the myth, it is just that: a myth. NASA has confirmed that the moon is not made of cheese, but rather of rock, with a metallic core, a mantle, and a crust. This confirmation came in the form of a playful tweet on National Moldy Cheese Day in 2019, where the space agency encouraged people to celebrate the faux-holiday while also learning about the moon's actual composition.
NASA had previously joined in on the joke back in 2002, when they claimed to have “proven” that the moon was made of cheese as an April Fool's Day prank. They released a Photoshopped image with an expiration date printed on one of the moon's craters and advised people to “completely devour the Moon” before it went bad.
While the moon may not be made of cheese, that hasn't stopped references to the myth from appearing in popular culture, from children's programs like Tom and Jerry to adult references in films like Wallace and Gromit's A Grand Day Out, where the plot hinges on the characters going to the moon to gather cheese. So, while we may not be able to enjoy a moon-sized chunk of cheddar, we can still enjoy the cultural impact of this long-standing myth.
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The Moon-is-made-of-cheese myth is often referenced in children's media
The idea that the moon is made of cheese has been a longstanding myth, with its earliest known record found in a medieval Slavic fable. In the fable, a fox convinces a wolf that the moon's reflection on a pond is a block of cheese, tricking the wolf into drinking all the water to get to the cheese. While it is unlikely that anyone ever believed this myth, it has persisted for centuries and has become a common motif in folklore and popular culture, especially in children's media.
The moon-made-of-cheese myth has been referenced in various children's programmes, such as Tom and Jerry and Wallace and Gromit. The myth has also been used humorously by NASA, who, on April Fool's Day 2002, claimed to have "proven" that the moon was made of cheese by releasing a Photoshopped image with an expiration date on one of the moon's craters. This playful prank by NASA adds to the long history of the moon-made-of-cheese myth in popular culture.
The notion that the moon is made of cheese has also made its way into modern children's folklore. For example, the DC comic character Little Cheese (real name Chester Cheese) features a type of cheese found on the moon by an astronaut. This character further perpetuates the idea that the moon is made of cheese in modern children's media.
The moon-made-of-cheese myth has been so pervasive in children's media that many kids are led to believe it, at least for a while during their childhood. This myth has become a playful part of childhood imagination and curiosity about the world, even though it is understood to be false.
Overall, the moon-is-made-of-cheese myth has been a persistent and playful part of children's media for centuries. It has been referenced in various forms, from ancient fables to modern cartoons and comics, and even in NASA's lighthearted April Fool's Day prank. This myth has captured the imagination of children and adults alike, adding a touch of whimsy to our understanding of the moon.
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The Moon-is-made-of-cheese myth is also referenced in adult media
The Moon-is-made-of-cheese myth is a humorous concept that has been referenced in adult media for centuries. The idea can be traced back to a medieval Slavic fable about a fox and a wolf, with the earliest written record dating to 1546 in The Proverbs of John Heywood. The myth has persisted and evolved over time, appearing in various forms of adult media, including literature, film, and even scientific discussions.
In English literature, the notion of the Moon being made of green cheese was a popular proverb in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was often used as a metaphor for a hoax or a claim so clearly false that no one would believe it. This theme of deception is also present in John Wilkins' book, "The Discovery of a World in the Moone," where the Moon's reflection is mistaken for cheese.
The Moon-is-made-of-cheese myth has also found its way into adult popular culture, especially in works with astronomical themes. For example, the 1989 film "A Grand Day Out" features the characters Wallace and Gromit travelling to the Moon to gather cheese due to a shortage at home. This light-hearted portrayal pokes fun at the myth while incorporating it into the film's plot.
Additionally, the myth has been referenced by NASA, the renowned space agency. On April Fool's Day in 2002, NASA played a prank by claiming that the Hubble Space Telescope had confirmed the Moon was made of cheese, complete with a photoshopped image of an expiration date on the Moon's surface. This playful joke demonstrated that the Moon-is-made-of-cheese myth is so well-known that even a serious scientific organization like NASA could use it to connect with the public in a light-hearted way.
The Moon-is-made-of-cheese myth continues to be referenced and celebrated in adult media, even inspiring a faux-holiday called National Moldy Cheese Day. While it is safe to say that the Moon is not actually made of cheese, the myth remains a fun and imaginative concept that sparks creativity and humour in popular culture.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the moon is not made of cheese. The idea that the moon is made of cheese is a myth that has been around for centuries. NASA has also confirmed that the moon is not made of cheese.
The myth that the moon is made of cheese likely originated from a medieval Slavic fable about a ravenous wolf chasing a fox. The fox tricks the wolf into thinking that the moon's reflection on a pond is a block of cheese, and the wolf drinks all the water in the pond trying to get to it. The earliest record of this notion dates back to 1546 in "The Proverbs of John Heywood".
Yes, on April Fool's Day in 2002, NASA claimed to have "proven" that the moon was made of cheese by releasing a Photoshopped image with an expiration date printed on one of the moon's craters. They even advised people to "devour the moon" before it went bad.
