What Is Zero Shadow Day? Rare Celestial Event To Be Observed In Bengaluru On August 18
The city will be experiencing this celestial event for the second time this year.
Zero Shadow Day: People of Bengaluru will experience zero shadow moment on August 18.
This means that on Friday, there will be no shadow from sunlight at a particular time of the day. The city will be experiencing this celestial event for the second time this year. Bengaluru witnessed Zero Shadow Day on April 18.
According to a report in The Times of India, at 12:24 PM on Friday, the Sun will be positioned directly overhead, resulting in the zero shadow moment.
Here's all you need to know about Zero Shadow Day:
What Is Zero Shadow Day?
Explaining the phenomenon, astrophysicist Debiprosad Duari told news agency PTI, “People and any object, all around the world, staying between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn lose their shadows, though momentarily, twice a year. These two moments are called zero shadow moments."
According to the Astronomical Society of India, this phenomenon happens for places between +23.5 and -23.5 degrees latitude.
"The Sun is almost never exactly overhead at noon, but usually transits a bit lower in altitude, a bit to the north or a bit to the south," the Astronomical Society of India explains.
"We have all studied in school that the Earth's rotation axis is inclined at 23.5 degrees to the plane of its revolution around the Sun, which is why we have seasons. This also means that the Sun, in its highest point of the day, will move from 23.5 degrees south of the celestial equator to 23.5 degrees north of the equator (Uttarayan), and back again (Dakshinayan), in a year," the information on ASI website says.
"Of course, the northern most and southern most points are the two solstices, and the crossing of the Sun across the equator are the two equinoxes," it further explains.
West Bengal's Kolkata experienced Zero Shadow Day in the month of June.
Braving the scorching sun, people across age groups gathered on rooftops and other places in various areas from 11:30 am onwards to catch the particular moment which arrived at 11:34 am, PTI reported.
(With PTI inputs)
