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Fact Check: Posts claim Earth will 'lose gravity' for 7 seconds on Aug. 12, 2026. NASA pulls us back to reality
Yahoo • • science
Key Points:
- A viral rumor in early 2026 claimed a secret NASA document called "Project Anchor" leaked in November 2024, predicting Earth would lose gravity for seven seconds on August 12, 2026, causing tens of millions of deaths.
- The rumor described a catastrophic gravitational anomaly caused by intersecting gravitational waves from black holes, with NASA allegedly preparing underground bunkers for selected personnel, but it has no basis in fact.
- NASA officially denied the claim, explaining that Earth's gravity depends on its mass and cannot simply "turn off," and that the scheduled event on August 12, 2026, is a total solar eclipse with no impact on gravity.
- Investigations found no credible evidence of the "Project Anchor" document or NASA preparations, and the rumor appears to have originated from a fictional, AI-generated Instagram post by user @mr_danya_of in late 2025.
- The rumor was widely shared on social media platforms but was debunked by experts and fact-checkers, emphasizing the importance of verifying sensational claims with reputable scientific sources.
