Rumor – August 12, 2026, would have a two-minute worldwide blackout.
Analysis
A series of recent posts on social media has sparked curiosity and fear among internet users in various parts of the world. The messages, circulating rapidly in messaging app groups and video platforms, describe an unusual scenario predicted for August 12, 2026. According to the reports, science has supposedly confirmed the occurrence of a phenomenon described as a “blackout” that would leave the planet in the dark for an interval of just over two minutes.
The content gains momentum by citing specific dates and exact durations, giving an air of technical precision to what is being shared. In some versions, the text suggests that darkness will cross the planet, urging the public to prepare for the event. Below, you can check the content of the messages being replicated online:
Version 1: On August 12, science approves that there will be a blackout on earth that could last about 2 minutes and a few seconds. Research. Version 2: A blackout will cross the planet on August 12, 2026… will you see it?
Fact-Check
To understand what will actually happen on that date and if there are reasons for concern regarding power supply or sunlight, we will answer the following questions: 1) Will August 12, 2026, have a two-minute worldwide blackout? 2) What will happen on August 12, 2026? 3) Are there other fake news about a “worldwide blackout” circulating online?
Will August 12, 2026, have a two-minute worldwide blackout?
There will be no “worldwide blackout” in the sense of a technical failure in the electrical system or total darkness involving the entire globe simultaneously. The term “blackout” is being used mistakenly or sensationally to describe a natural and localized astronomical event. Science does not predict any collapse in global infrastructure or a disappearance of the Sun for all inhabitants of the Earth on this date.
What will happen on August 12, 2026?
What will actually occur is a total solar eclipse. According to data from the National Solar Observatory (NSO), the moon will pass between the Earth and the Sun, blocking sunlight in a specific path across the planet. This phenomenon will be visible in its totality only in parts of Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia, and a small part of Portugal. In these specific regions, day will indeed turn into night for about two minutes, but this is a restricted geographical event and not a global blackout.
Are there other fake news about a “worldwide blackout” circulating online?
Yes, the theme of a “worldwide blackout” is recurrent in the misinformation industry. Recently, a similar rumor circulated claiming that NASA had warned of a general blackout in March 2026 due to solar storms, which was also debunked. Frequently, eclipses or predictions of solar activity are distorted to create panic about power outages or days of total darkness, usually without any real scientific basis.
Conclusion
Messages about a worldwide blackout on August 12, 2026, are distortions of a real astronomical event: a total solar eclipse that will be visible only in some points of the Northern Hemisphere. There is no prediction of global darkness or systemic failure.
Fake news ❌
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