Bengaluru to witness Zero Shadow Day today: Here’s all you need to know about this unique celestial event

Bengaluru is preparing to witness a unique celestial event known as Shadowless Day on August 18. This extraordinary phenomenon, which previously occurred on April 25 in the city, usually takes place. occurs in the areas between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Cancer.

What is a day without darkness?

Shadowless Day is a notable celestial event that occurs twice a year at locations between +23.5 and -23.5 degrees of latitude. During this phenomenon, the sun reaches its maximum height in the sky, leaving objects and individuals without shadows.

According to Britannica, deviation refers to the angular distance of a celestial body north or south of the celestial equator. On the other hand, according to National Geographic, latitude is a measurement of the distance north or south of the Equator. It is defined by imaginary lines, called parallels, that surround the Earth parallel to the Equator in an east-west direction.

Also read: What is a day without darkness? Unique celestial event set to grace Bengaluru on August 18

What happens on Shadowless Day?

During the Shadowless Day, the sun is directly overhead, resulting in no shadow on the earth’s surface. This phenomenon causes the sun to reach its zenith in the sky, resulting in a greatly reduced length of the shadows, making them almost invisible.

Also read: Kolkata witnesses ‘Shadowless Moment’; What is this? Why does it happen?

What to expect on this day?

When the sun occupies the zenith position, it does not cast a shadow on any objects according to the Astronomical Society of India (ASI). For individuals residing between +23.5 and -23.5 degrees of latitude, the sun’s declination coincides with their latitude twice a year—once at Uttarayan (North Solstice) and once at the time of Dakshinayan (Southern Solstice). On these particular days, precisely at noon, the sun appears directly overhead and casts no shadow on objects lying on the ground.

Similarly, Hyderabad also saw a previous Shadowless Day on August 3 at 12:23 pm, in which the sun was directly overhead, causing the shadows of vertical objects to temporarily disappear. In addition, Hyderabad had previously observed Shadowless Day on 9 May of the same year.