The internet loves a viral challenge, doesn’t it?
The #BroomStickChallenge appears to be the first major one to strike in 2020. A video on Twitter went viral on Monday showing a person making a broom stand up on its own, claiming NASA said it was the only day anyone could do this because of a strange phenomenon involving the earth’s gravitational pull.
Okay so NASA said today was the only day a broom can stand up on its own because of the gravitational pull…I didn’t believe it at first but OMG! 😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/M0HCeemyGt
— mk (@mikaiylaaaaa) February 10, 2020
The replies were flooded with other users posting their own broom challenge videos, along with plenty of bemusement at the brooms all standing without any interference.
And yes, even a few celebs got in on the broom challenge action, including pop stars (and former Fifth Harmony members) Lauren Jauregui and Ally Brooke, among others.
So my mom just texted my brother, sister and I that according to NASA today is the only day your broom can stand on its own because of the gravitational pull and I- pic.twitter.com/bx0tJr0fXf
— Lauren Jauregui (@LaurenJauregui) February 11, 2020
Of course, there were also skeptics mixed into the slew of amazed and entertained broom challenge takers.
While the broom challenge might seem like a revelation, NASA has not said anything to support any of the challenge’s claims. Astronomer Phil Plait also refuted the claims on Twitter, saying, “As for the #BroomChallenge itself: If the broom stands up, it stands up. But it has nothing to do with Earth’s gravity in balance or whatever.”
I’m seeing a lot of tweets about being able to balance a broom on last Friday — sorry folks, that’s an urban myth — with ppl saying *NASA* issued the challenge. But I’m seeing no links, nothing, to an original NASA source. Anyone see one?#broomchallenge
— Phil Plait (@BadAstronomer) February 11, 2020
Plait actually penned an article in Syfy in 2012 about this whole myth.
“It’s actually a simply matter of center of mass and flat bristles,” he wrote. “Honestly, it’s not more mysterious than standing a brick up.”
There’s nothing significant about February 10 and the earth’s gravitational pull that would make a broom stand up. In fact, you can actually stand your broom up pretty much any time you want. To further prove it to ourselves, we gave it the ol’ college try.
A broom standing in the Mashable office on Feb. 11 2020.
So there ya have it. Courtesy of Mashable Myth Busters. Mashbusters? Mythmashers? Whatever. Try it for yourself.
