You’ve probably seen the photos filling your Facebook feed.
There is a viral claim that on Feb. 10, the Earth was on a perfect tilt “according to NASA” and your broom would stand up on its own.
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The problem is, that’s not really true. Many scientists are refuting the claims, but countless people are still giving it a shot.
This appears to be the original tweet that sparked the craze.
Y’all it’s just been standing like this for 45 minutes 💀 pic.twitter.com/qRMTJYtVmH
— mk (@mikaiylaaaaa) February 10, 2020
Here’s the thing -- a broom will balance on its own on any given day. According to CNN, this has nothing to do with the Earth’s gravitational pull on a “specific day.” It actually has everything to do with balance. A broom’s center of gravity is low, so if you can get the bristles perfectly positioned, your broom will stand upright today, tomorrow, and every single day.
NASA has not weighed in on the #BroomChallenge.