Conspiracy theorists are claiming that Wednesday's solar eclipse could trigger a catastrophic doomsday scenario, resulting in 40 million deaths. The theory, which has been debunked, suggests the Earth's gravity will temporarily "switch off" during the celestial event.
UK to witness major solar eclipse
Britain is set to experience its most substantial solar eclipse in 54 years on Wednesday. Over 90% of the Sun will be covered by the Moon between 6.17pm and 8.06pm on August 12, marking the greatest obscuration seen in UK skies since the total eclipse in 1999.
Despite the scientific explanation for the event, online conspiracy theorists are convinced that this unusual phenomenon will cause the Earth's gravity to fail. They claim to have uncovered a "secret" within a NASA document titled "Project Anchor," which purportedly states the planet could suffer a seven-second gravitational failure.
Theory details and origins
The outlandish theory suggests the leaked document identified the date as August 12 at exactly 2.33pm US time. One of the earliest documented mentions of the theory appears in an Instagram post by @mr_danya_of, which stated: "On August 12, 2026, the world will lose gravity for seven seconds. NASA knows. They're preparing but won't tell us why."
The post claims the cosmic occurrence would lead to "40 million deaths from falls. Infrastructure destruction. Economic Collapse lasting over ten years. Mass panic." It also alleges the disruption would stem from "the intersection of gravitational waves" produced by colliding black holes.
Experts and NASA respond
Not everyone is persuaded by the theory. One user remarked: "If this is fake, why does it have a date, a project name, and a budget?" Another added: "There's gonna be a lot of injuries when everyone comes crashing back down then if it was to happen."
NASA has previously addressed the theory. A spokesperson said in a statement: "The Earth will not lose gravity on August 12, 2026. Earth's gravity, or total gravitational force, is determined by its mass. 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."
Dr William Alston, a black hole specialist from the University of Hertfordshire, has also explained whether gravitational waves reaching Earth could result in our planet losing its gravity. He said: "These ripples are so weak that we have had to build the most sensitive detection equipment to see them – known as the LIGO and Virgo observatories. These ripples routinely pass through Earth and ourselves, very subtly squeezing and stretching us; however, this is so small – many times smaller than the size of an atom – that this change goes by completely unnoticed."
Eclipse timings around the UK are as follows: First contact (Moon first begins to cover the Sun) – Edinburgh & Glasgow: 6:08pm; Galway & Dublin: 6:12pm; Manchester & Liverpool: 6:13pm; Norwich & Birmingham: 6:15pm; London, Bristol & Cardiff: 6:17pm; Truro, Cornwall: 6:18pm.
