Over the past few days, social media has been flooded with claims that Earth’s gravity will temporarily disappear for a few seconds on August 12, potentially triggering a catastrophic event. However, NASA has dismissed the claims as completely unfounded and clarified that no such event is going to happen.
Viral posts have alleged that Earth’s gravity will vanish for seven seconds on August 12, and that governments are aware of the supposed danger but are keeping it secret.
The rumors also mention a fictional initiative called “Project Anchor,” which supposedly refers to a plan through which NASA had advance knowledge of an impending change in Earth’s gravity. According to the posts, the alleged event was scheduled to occur at 14:33 UTC (16:33 South African Standard Time) and would last for around seven seconds.
NASA has rejected these claims, explaining that Earth’s gravity is directly tied to the planet’s mass and that there is no mechanism by which it could suddenly disappear.
According to NASA, Earth’s gravitational force is determined by the planet’s mass. For Earth’s gravity to disappear, there would have to be a reduction in the mass of the entire Earth system—including its core, mantle, crust, oceans, groundwater and atmosphere.
NASA has further clarified that Earth will not lose its gravity on August 12, 2026.
Some social media posts have also claimed that the supposed event would be caused by gravitational waves generated by black holes. Scientists, however, say that the effects of such waves on Earth are extraordinarily small.
According to the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), gravitational waves produced by black holes and other extremely powerful cosmic events have only tiny effects when they reach Earth. There is no scientific evidence that gravitational waves could cause Earth’s gravity to disappear.
Experts say that Earth’s gravity is a fundamental natural force linked to the planet’s mass and existence. The idea that it could suddenly vanish for a few seconds therefore has no basis in established science.
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