Zero Shadow Day

Zero Shadow Day is a unique and fascinating phenomenon that occurs when the sun is directly overhead, causing the shadow of vertical objects to disappear. This phenomenon is caused by the Earth’s tilt and revolution around the sun.

What is Zero Shadow Day?

Zero Shadow Day is a unique astronomical phenomenon that occurs when the sun is directly overhead. It is the day when the shadow of vertical objects disappears. It occurs twice a year in Bengaluru, one during Uttarayan and the other during Dakshinayan.

Zero Shadow Day is restricted to locations between the tropics, and the latitude range for locations where Zero Shadow Day occurs is between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. On April 25, the latitude that experiences Zero Shadow Day is 130°N.

Zero Shadow Day in Bengaluru

Bengaluru experienced Zero Shadow Day on April 25, 2023, at 12:17 pm. The Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium issued a release ahead of the phenomenon. The next Zero Shadow Day in Bengaluru will be on 18^th August.

What causes Uttarayan and Dakshinayan?

The occurrence of Uttarayan and Dakshinayan is due to the fact that the Earth’s axis of rotation is inclined at an angle of approximately 23.5° to the axis of revolution around the Sun. Uttarayan is the movement of the Sun from south to north from winter solstice to summer solstice, while Dakshinayan is the back movement of the Sun from north to south.

Interesting facts related to Zero Shadow Day

Zero Shadow Day occurs in all locations where the latitude matches the angle between the Sun’s position and the equator on that particular day, and at local noon, the shadow appears to be beneath an object. The northernmost and southernmost points of the Sun’s location are the two solstices, and the crossing of the Sun across the equator are the two equinoxes. Niruj Ramanujam, a member of the public outreach and education committee of the Astronomical Society of India, had spoken to The Indian Express in 2018 about Zero Shadow Day.

Month: Current Affairs – April, 2023

Category: Science & Technology Current Affairs