This is the first I'm hearing about this, but there's a hoax going around on social media that NASA had to address. The viral conspiracy theory is something that was called "Project Anchor," in which the space agency would make gravity on Earth disappear for seven seconds on Wednesday, Aug. 12 2026.
So is it real? The answer is: No. And a NASA spokesperson wrote to Snopes
in order to debunk the rumors."The Earth will not lose gravity on Aug. 12, 2026," wrote the NASA spokesperson. "Earth's gravity, or total gravitational force, is determined by its mass. The only way for the Earth to lose gravity would be for the Earth system, the combined mass of its core, mantle, crust, ocean, terrestrial water, and atmosphere, to lose mass. A total solar eclipse
has no unusual impact on Earth's gravity. The gravitational attraction of the Sun and Moon on the Earth, which doesn't impact Earth's total gravity, but does impact tidal forces, is well understood and is predictable decades in advance."
So, there you have it. No loss of gravity.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: NASA answers if the Earth will lose gravity for 7 seconds on Aug. 12
