In recent months, an interesting but scientifically unfounded claim has been rapidly spreading on social networks. It was claimed that on August 12, 2026, the Earth would lose its gravity for 7 seconds, people and objects would float in the air at that moment, and even 40 million people would bid farewell to life.
Modern.az reports that some posts even claim that this is related to NASA's secret project called “Project Anchor” and that the event was known in advance.
The more striking aspect of the claim is that the event is supposedly going to happen on August 12 at 14:33 UTC, which is 18:33 Baku time.
However, there is no reliable scientific evidence behind any of this. Fact-checking investigations citing NASA have found no evidence of such a document or any mechanism that would turn off Earth's gravity for 7 seconds.
So why August 12?
Because on that day, a truly magnificent astronomical event will occur - a total solar eclipse. The Moon will pass between the Sun and the Earth, casting its shadow on the Earth's surface. The path of totality will pass through Greenland, Iceland, Northern Russia, the Atlantic Ocean, Spain, and a small part of Portugal. In wider areas of the world, the eclipse will be partially observed.
Start of total eclipse:
16:58 UTC → 20:58 Baku time
Maximum eclipse:
17:46 UTC → 21:46 Baku time
End of total eclipse:
18:34 UTC → 22:34 Baku time.
So where did the “7 seconds of weightlessness” come from?
Apparently, a real astronomical event - a solar eclipse - was combined with a fake story. On social networks, the claim that “Earth will lose its gravity for 7 seconds” was initially spread, and then details such as a supposed secret NASA document and “Project Anchor” were added to it.
In reality, Earth's gravity does not disappear during a solar eclipse. The gravitational forces exerted by the Moon on Earth and the Sun on Earth are constantly present. An eclipse is simply a geometric event caused by the Moon passing in front of the Sun's disk.
So, something unusual will indeed happen on August 12 - a solar eclipse. But there will be no 7-second “loss of gravity” that would cause people to float in the air.
Astronomy
