NASA Addresses False Claims of Earth Losing Gravity

NASA has once again refuted debunked claims that Earth will experience a temporary loss of gravity on a specific day. Social media has been filled with these assertions, connected to a supposed leaked NASA project named “Project Anchor.”

Karen Fox, a senior science communicator at NASA, informed Newsweek that this conspiracy theory resurfaces annually. According to a statement provided by the agency on Wednesday, it emphasized that the Earth will not lose gravity on any particular day. Earth’s gravity is governed by its mass. For any significant change in gravity, the mass of Earth, including its core, mantle, crust, ocean, terrestrial water, and atmosphere, would need to be altered.

Although NASA has previously dismissed similar claims, the topic seems to regain momentum on social media as certain dates like August 12 approach. Fact-checking organization Snopes investigated the “Project Anchor” claim in January after it circulated widely online. The rumor emerged from a fictional NASA document leaked in November 2024, suggesting that Earth would encounter a brief loss of gravity on August 12, 2026. This was said to result in mass casualties and global chaos.

Snopes determined the claim to be false, finding no credible evidence of any such NASA project. The story gained popularity through repeated social media posts, including an Instagram video falsely alleging NASA’s preparation for a seven-second gravitational anomaly, supposedly kept secret from the public. These posts contained dramatic, unsupported details like an $89 billion budget and dire casualty predictions.

Today’s date holds astronomical significance due to a total solar eclipse visible along a path across Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, the Atlantic Ocean, Spain, and a small part of Portugal. Other regions in the Northern Hemisphere, including parts of the northern United States from Alaska to North Carolina, much of Canada, much of Europe, and northwestern Africa, will see a partial eclipse according to NASA.

NASA stated that a total solar eclipse does not have any special impact on Earth’s gravity. The gravitational pull from the Sun and Moon affects tidal forces but does not alter Earth’s overall gravity. These effects are well-understood and predicted long in advance.