WASHINGTON D.C. – Leading scientific bodies, including NASA, alongside major international news agencies, have moved to categorically deny a viral rumor circulating on social media that claims the Earth will experience a "global blackout" for six minutes today, August 2, 2025. Experts have affirmed that the claim is entirely false and has no scientific basis.
The baseless rumor, which has been widely shared across platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok, alleges that a unique astronomical event would plunge the entire planet into darkness. However, scientists have been quick to dismantle the claim, labeling it as a recurring and unfounded internet hoax.
In official statements and through their social media channels, NASA has confirmed that there is no predicted event that would cause such a phenomenon. "There are no planetary alignments or other cosmic events that would result in a 'global blackout,'" a spokesperson clarified. "Claims of this nature surface periodically and are consistently false."
Fact-checkers at international news outlets such as Reuters and the Associated Press have also traced the origin of the story, finding it to be a mutation of similar hoaxes that have been circulating online for over a decade, with different dates attached each time they reappear.
The Source of the Confusion: A Real Eclipse in 2027
Experts believe the specific details in this version of the hoax—the date of August 2nd and the duration of six minutes—are a direct and misleading conflation with a real, future astronomical event.
The longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century is, in fact, scheduled to occur on August 2, 2027.
This highly anticipated event will feature a period of totality (the phase where the Moon completely blocks the Sun) lasting for an exceptionally long duration of up to 6 minutes and 23 seconds. It is this remarkable duration that has likely been co-opted and misapplied to the false 2025 rumor.
Unlike the fictional "global blackout," the 2027 total solar eclipse will only be visible within a specific and narrow path on the Earth's surface. The path of totality will sweep across parts of Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, and the Arabian Peninsula. While the rest of the world will experience normal daylight, those within this path will witness the spectacular sight of the sky darkening as if it were twilight.
Scientists and astronomers are encouraging the public to dismiss the "blackout" rumors for today and instead look forward to the genuine and well-documented celestial event in 2027. They advise the public to always seek information from reputable scientific institutions and established news organizations to avoid the spread of misinformation.
