We Just Debunked The #BroomChallenge For You

You can actually just prop up a broomstick anytime you want.

Twitter/@GoofAndAGaff
Twitter/@GoofAndAGaff

Videos of the #BroomChallenge are all over the internet—but the claims that started the challenge are based on unsupported science.
 
The challenge followed a viral tweet that claimed NASA said Monday was the only day a broom could stand on its end, because of Earth’s gravitational pull.

The tweet was shared almost 50,000 times and prompted plenty of people, celebrities included, to film themselves balancing their brooms. However, according to NASA officials, a broom’s balance has nothing to do with the gravitational pull of the planet. 

"This is another social media hoax that exemplifies how quickly pseudoscience and false claims can go viral," NASA public affairs officer Karen Northon told USA TODAY

Astronomer Phil Plait also refuted the claim on twitter, saying, “If the broom stands up, it stands up. But it has nothing to do with Earth’s gravity in balance or whatever.”

The viral trick is also not a new false theory. According to CNN, the myth of the balancing broom dates back to at least 2012, and is sometimes attributed to the vernal equinox—the trick to broom bristle balancing actually has to do with its low center of gravity.