A bizarre new claim circulating across social media warns that Earth will briefly “lose gravity” for seven seconds on 12 August 2026–an event conspiracy theorists insist will send people, oceans and objects hurtling into the air before crashing back down. The posts allege mass casualties, secret bunkers and a classified NASA project preparing for the so-called anomaly.

Scientists, however, have dismissed the theory outright, calling it yet another product of the internet’s misinformation machinery in an age where sensational claims spread faster than facts. 

What the viral theory claims

According to multiple widely shared videos and posts, a catastrophic “gravity blackout” will strike Earth at 14:33 UTC (8:03 pm IST) on 12 August 2026. Everything not bolted down, they say, will float upwards and then plummet when gravity returns–allegedly killing between 40 and 60 million people.

The rumour further claims NASA has been preparing for this event for years under a covert programme dubbed “Project Anchor.” The supposed leaked document, said to have appeared online in late 2024, claims the agency has spent $89 billion constructing bunkers to protect world leaders, military personnel and select scientists.

Conspiracy theorists also attribute the fictional phenomenon to two black holes whose intersecting gravitational waves, they say, will momentarily cancel out Earth’s gravity.

No evidence supports any of these assertions.

How the rumour spread

Investigations into the posts trace the earliest version of the claim to an Instagram video uploaded on 31 December 2025. The clip, heavily edited with dramatic visuals, accused NASA of concealing the coming “gravity glitch.” The account has since disappeared.

No official documents, scientific papers or credible references have surfaced to substantiate the story. Searches across major platforms–including Facebook, X and Google–yield no trace of the alleged “Project Anchor” outside conspiracy circles.

Experts say such rumours thrive because they blend scientific jargon with apocalyptic imagery, creating a narrative designed for rapid online virality.

Scientists respond

Officials emphasise that gravity is determined entirely by Earth’s mass–something that cannot suddenly change. Gravity cannot switch off, weaken by 94%, or be disrupted by distant black holes in the manner described online.

The agency also clarified that Project Anchor does not exist and no preparations are underway because no such event is physically possible.

What is scheduled for 12 August 2026 is a total solar eclipse, a routine astronomical occurrence visible from parts of Europe, Greenland, Iceland and Spain. NASA underscores that eclipses have no impact on Earth’s gravitational forces.

Scientists reiterate that gravity cannot be toggled like a light switch. To lose gravity, Earth would need to lose its mass–an impossibility under known laws of physics.

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What would happen if gravity disappeared?

While emphasising that the scenario is impossible, physicists note that even a hypothetical seven-second loss of gravity would cause severe–but not world-ending–damage.

  • Instant weightlessness would occur, with people, vehicles and loose objects floating upward.
  • Oceans and the atmosphere would begin lifting off the surface.
  • Earth’s crust could shift violently when gravity returned, potentially causing earthquakes or volcanic activity.
  • Falling debris and water would cause extensive destruction once gravity resumed.

Still, none of this is grounded in real-world science. It remains purely theoretical speculation.

The real event on 12 August 2026

Astronomers confirm the only notable event on that date is a predictable solar eclipse–one of many that occur regularly and pose no danger.

No scientific institution, research body or space agency supports the gravity-loss rumour.