FACT CHECK: 3 days of global darkness due to April 8 solar eclipse a hoax – PAGASA

Claim: Earth will experience three days of darkness starting April 8, 2024, as the planet passes through the photon belt. 

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The TikTok video bearing the claim has 63,000 views as of writing.

A hoax: The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said on March 20 that there is no truth to the claim.

“DOST-PAGASA would like to inform the general public that the news circulating on the internet about the Earth experiencing three (3) days of darkness due to its passage through Photon Belts on 08 April 2024, is a hoax,” PAGASA said.

The weather bureau said astronomers “have not observed” any evidence that a band of photons surrounding the Milky Way galaxy exists. According to the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy where the Earth and the Solar system are located.

Lacks scientific evidence: PAGASA also said that the concept of a photon belt is more pseudoscientific than rooted in actual scientific evidence.

“It is said that when the Earth passes through this belt, it triggers various transformative effects, both physical and spiritual. However, there is no scientific proof to support this theory,” the bureau said.

It added, “Furthermore, it should be noted that the notion of the Earth’s movement through the Photon Belt producing any substantial transformations to our planet is not substantiated by any known laws of physics. This idea originated within the New Age and metaphysical circles, and as such, lacks scientific evidence and is considered pseudoscientific by the scientific community.”

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Solar eclipse: A total solar eclipse will happen on April 8, 2024, but it will not be visible in the Philippines. Dubbed the “Great North American Eclipse,” the eclipse will take place over the Pacific Ocean and certain regions of North America. During this time, some areas in these places will experience temporary darkness as the moon passes in front of the sun. – Lorenz Pasion/Rappler.com

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