NASA has issued an official response after a conspiracy theory claiming the Earth will temporarily lose gravity in 2026 gained widespread attention online, prompting fears of mass casualties and global disruption.
The claim suggested that on Aug. 12, 2026 at precisely 14.33 GMT, the planet would experience a complete loss of gravity lasting seven seconds.
According to those promoting the theory, the event would allegedly lead to tens of millions of deaths as people and objects were violently displaced. NASA has firmly rejected the theory, stating there is no scientific basis for such an event.
Viral Claims Spread Across Social Media
According to Daily Star, the theory began circulating on social media platforms including Instagram and X, where users shared warnings that the event had been secretly predicted by NASA. Proponents of the claim alleged the information originated from a supposed NASA document titled 'Project Anchor', dated November 2024.
One Instagram account, posting under the handle @mr_danya_of, claimed foreknowledge of the event and suggested catastrophic consequences.
The user wrote: 'On August 12, 2026, the world will lose gravity for seven seconds. NASA knows. They're preparing but won't tell us why'. The same account went on to assert that as many as 60 million people could die as a result.
NASA explains why the scenario is impossible
In response to growing concern, NASA addressed the claims directly, offering a scientific explanation for why such a phenomenon cannot occur. Speaking to fact-checking website Snopes, a representative for the agency dismissed the theory outright.
'The Earth will not lose gravity on August 12, 2026. Earth's gravity, or total gravitational force, is determined by its mass', the spokesperson said.
They continued: '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'.
According to scientists, Earth's gravity cannot simply switch off temporarily. Any change significant enough to affect gravity would require a catastrophic and observable alteration to the planet itself, something experts say is not occurring.
Nostradamus and Renewed Fears About 2026
The gravity conspiracy is not the only claim fuelling anxiety about the year 2026. Daily Star also shared some commentators have once again turned to the writings of the 16th-century seer Nostradamus, suggesting his texts contain hidden warnings about the future.
Nostradamus did not make any specific predictions about 2026. However, this has not stopped readers from interpreting verses from his work. Scholars examining his writings point to the 26th verse of Century I, which states a 'great man will be struck down in the day by a thunderbolt'.
Some have speculated this could refer to the assassination of a prominent male figure or a military takeover, although such interpretations remain unverified. Another passage, from quatrain VII, reads: 'Foists and galleys around seven ships, a mortal war will be let loose'.
This line has been linked by some interpreters to tensions in the South China Sea and China's regional activity, though historians caution that Nostradamus' language is open to endless reinterpretation.
