What is Zero Shadow Day: To be observed in Bengaluru on August 18

Zero Shadow Day: On August 18, Bengaluru will once more commemorate a Zero Shadow Day. This unusual celestial event, which was first noticed on April 25 in Bengaluru, normally takes place between areas that are situated between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.

What causes this phenomenon?

As long as the sun is overhead, there won’t be any shadows cast on the earth’s surface. This indicates that the sun has risen to its greatest position in the sky, which causes a shortening of the shadow’s length to the point where it disappears.

What is Zero Shadow Day?

A unique celestial event known as a zero shadow day takes place twice a year at locations between +23.5 and -23.5 degrees latitude. The sun is at its greatest position in the sky at this time, thus there are no shadows cast by anything or anyone.

When the Sun is precisely at the zenith position, it will not throw a shadow on an object, according to the Astronomical Society of India (ASI). “For people living between +23.5 and -23.5 degrees latitude, the Sun’s declination will be equal to their latitude twice — once during Uttarayan and once during Dakshinayan,” the ASI stated on its website. At noon on these two days, the Sun will be directly overhead without casting any shadows on the earth.

Zero Shadow Days were once observed in cities like Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Bhubaneswar.