Don’t Fall For It
Space has inspired and mystified humanity throughout our existence. But with that knowledge has come a fair share of out-there theories. With that in mind, here are some of the biggest contenders.
1. The Moon Landings
Some conspiracy theories about NASA suggest that NASA has never sent humans to the moon, but that the Apollo moon landings were faked on Earth. Conspiracy theorists allege that the photos and videos were created using computer-generated imagery (CGI), or were secretly filmed in a studio. This remains a popular topic on social media, despite astronauts, lunar rocks, and independent observations.
2. Flat Earth
The Flat Earth Society believes that the Earth is flat and not round. They use the fact that the horizon is always at eye level as "proof." They also claim that there is no real video footage of the Earth rotating from space, even though satellites and the International Space Station do broadcast it in real time. The theory continues to be believed in, despite evidence from scientific studies for hundreds of years and photos of the Earth from many space missions.
3. Planet Nine
In 2016, headlines and online videos linked a theoretical Planet Nine in the solar system's far reaches to possible extinction-level asteroid and comet strikes on Earth. Astronomers are searching for Planet Nine, a hypothetical planet that could be millions of miles beyond Pluto, but they think it's out there to help explain the orbits of icy bodies in the Kuiper Belt, not to threaten our planet. That's why some astronomers say a hypothetical Planet Nine wouldn't hurt Earth, despite some media claims and a YouTube video that's gone viral.
4. Area 51
Some claim that the United States government is conducting a secret investigation into aliens and their spacecraft technology recovered from UFOs that have crashed on Earth, at Area 51, a military base in the desert of Nevada. Witnesses have reported seeing strange lights and objects near the facility and say these are evidence that experimentation on extraterrestrial crafts and perhaps even extraterrestrial bodies is being conducted there. The military's test and development work at Area 51 is secret, but the existence of the base has been confirmed by the government.
5. Fake NASA
A more encompassing conspiracy theory about NASA is that it fakes images of space. Conspiracy theorists believe that pictures of planets, stars, and even photos of Earth from space are all CGI. Some of these theorists state that these are being created to distract people from space exploration, or to force the public to accept a "fictional" or "illusionary" representation of space in an attempt to convince people of the "truth."
