Fact Check: Is this tree from a seed sent to moon on Apollo 14?
An image reportedly of a tree in Brazil that was planted from a seed that had gone to the moon in Apollo 14 has gone viral.
By Nivruthi Pasupunuri Published on 29 Sept 2021 5:26 PM IST
Hyderabad: An image reportedly of a tree in Brazil that was planted from a seed that had gone to the moon in Apollo 14 has gone viral. The post also claims that NASA has confirmed this fact.
This claim was posted by the Instagram page facts.for.all. As the name suggests, it claims to post facts. The image has more than 7,000 likes.
Fact Check:
This is false.
About 400-500 seeds were taken to the moon on Apollo 14. They were later planted in the USA and around the globe.
The tree in the picture, however, is not from Brazil nor is it from the seeds from Apollo 14. The tree in the photo is from Idaho, USA, and was planted in 1912 by John Muir, a naturalist.
Apollo 14 was launched in 1971, decades after this event.
We performed a reverse image search and found the above facts to be true. Further, this tree was transported in 2017 because it had become huge and was hampering the expansion of Boise hospital, according to a report by The Columbian.
In June 2017, The Spokesman-Review had reported that the giant sequoia tree was to be moved due to a hospital expansion project.
Another article by The Eagle Tribune said the 98-foot tall and 8,00,000 pound tree planted in 1912 was being uprooted and replanted. It said $300,000 was being spent for the same.
From the above reports, it is clear that the claim that the tree is from a seed sent to the moon on board Apollo 14 is false.
