# Great Wall as seen from Space
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-wall-as-seen-from-space/61260
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports
**Created:** [April 8, 2001, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-wall-as-seen-from-space/61260 "2001-04-08T16:53:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@SDFMacross](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SDFMacross)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2001, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-wall-as-seen-from-space/61260/1 "2001-04-08T16:53:33Z")
Cecil was rigfht for the most part on that column on the Great Wall–they showed pictures of the Earth as seen from the moon in a Histroy Channel show on the Great Wall to illustrate that fact–but Vecil was (I am loathe to say) a little off on one point: The myth that you can see the Great Wall from the moon has been ingraied in human consciousness as least as far back as the 30s, when Robert Ripley put the dubious fctoid in his “Believe it or Not” comic strip. Now, I see Mr. Ripley as a sort of Cecil Adams of his time, but after watching the History Channel’s production, I have to say this time, it’s a unqualified “not.” 🙂
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### Author:  [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2001, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-wall-as-seen-from-space/61260/2 "2001-04-08T17:37:45Z")
First, a [link](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_092.html) to Cecil’s column. Then the
> [@](#):
>
> The NASA folks, I gather, are getting a little tired of hearing about the Great Wall of China. Nobody knows exactly where the story got started, although some think it was speculation by some bigshot during an after-dinner speech in the early days of the space program.
from Cecil to which you are referring.
In a previous thread , I cited references from 1909 and 1923(The National Geographic) which speculated on this.
Thanks for adding an addional source.
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### Author:  [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2001, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-wall-as-seen-from-space/61260/3 "2001-04-08T17:40:13Z")
Robert Ripley was the **Cecil Adams** of his time? I must respecfully disagree. With Ripley, it’s believe it **or not**. With Adams, it’s believe it **or else.** [sup]\*[/sup]
* * *
[sub]\*“ **Or else** _what_?” you may wonder. **Or else** you’re very likely to be wrong.[/sub]