As the world anticipates a total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026, a viral conspiracy theory known as “Project Anchor” has caused a stir on social media.
It claims that the Earth will temporarily lose its gravity for seven seconds on that date.
The rumour, which has exploded across TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram, alleges that a leaked NASA document warned of a “gravity blackout” scheduled for 14:33 UTC (9:33 a.m. ET).
As per the theory, it will cause catastrophic consequences, including millions of deaths from falls, infrastructure collapse, and economic devastation.
But NASA has firmly debunked the claim. A NASA spokesperson confirmed: “The Earth will not lose gravity on August 12, 2026. Earth’s gravity, or total gravitational force, is determined by its mass.”
The agency stressed that neither the solar eclipse nor any other celestial event could cause gravity to “switch off.”
Fact-checking websites, like Snopes, have also examined the “Project Anchor” story, concluding there is no evidence of any program by NASA, nor of any leaked document. The theory seems to be made up out of copy-and-paste social media postings and lacks any sort of credible scientific explanation.
The reason behind the widespread appeal of the rumor might be found in its blend of actual astronomical phenomenon, namely Wednesday’s solar eclipse, with a conspiracy involving secret governmental projects and apocalyptic effects.
While NASA acknowledged that the solar eclipse would be a truly magnificent phenomenon for Europeans and North Americans to watch, it stated there would be no “unusual influence on the Earth’s gravity.”
As well, there will be another interesting celestial phenomenon occurring this week, namely the peak of the Perseids meteor shower.
2026-08-12 21:08:00
