Zero Shadow Day in Bengaluru today: Here's what it means
On August 18, Bengaluru is going to experience a rare and extraordinary celestial event known as Zero Shadow Day. Today, the sun will be positioned directly overhead, causing no shadows even in heavy daylight! This astronomical miracle will take place in the city at 12:24 pm, as estimated by astronomer Alok Mandavgane. Bengaluru previously experienced this phenomenon on April 25 this year.
Poles, sticks, and even humans won't cast any shadows
During Zero Shadow Day, which may occur twice a year, the sun reaches its peak in the sky. With that, objects like vertical poles, sticks, and buildings don't cast any shadow. Even humans don't. This happens in regions lying just in between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, or locations ranging from +23.5 to -23.5 degrees latitude.
What leads to the disappearance of shadows on this day?
Per The Astronomical Society of India, the sun is never overhead but on a lower latitude. It moves from 23.5 degrees south of the equator to 23.5 degrees north, and back again in a year, inducing changes in seasons. For destinations lying between +23.5 to -23.5 degrees latitude, the sun's declination becomes equal to their latitude twice a year, causing Zero Shadow Days.
How to observe this day?
Today, objects and humans won't cast shadows in the daylight unless they lean, tilt, or jump. You can place a bottle, book, or ball on a flat surface to notice how it may look as though it levitates since there will be no shadow. Another fun way is to gather a few people and make a circle to see a ring-like formation.
Hyderabad experienced a Zero Shadow Day on August 3
This year on August 3, even Hyderabad experienced a Zero Shadow Day at 12:23 pm. And that wasn't just the first time in 2023 for the city as it had previously witnessed this astronomical occurrence on May 9 also. People swarmed to The B.M. Birla Planetarium to experience this astronomical rarity, where the alphabets arranged on a plate vanished with the sun's movement.
