Hyderabad to witness ‘Zero Shadow Day’ today

Hyderabad: The city is all set to witness a mesmerizing astronomical phenomenon known as ‘Zero Shadow Day’ at 12:22 pm on Thursday.

The BM Birla Planetarium in Hyderabad has planned to organise an event on this day where keen observers will be able to enjoy the second ‘Zero Shadow Day’ phenomenon.

According to a few researchers, ‘Zero Shadow Day’ takes place twice a year in regions near the equator, particularly between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer. During this unique event, the sun aligns directly above the Earth’s equator, causing objects and living creatures to cast no shadows at all. The city had earlier experienced this event on May 09 this year. “To experience this, one must be in an open space where the sun is directly overhead, where there are no obstructions that would cast a shadow, such as tall buildings or trees. At precisely 12:22 pm on Thursday, stand in an open area with the sun directly overhead. This means that the shadow of any vertical object will disappear, giving you a rare opportunity to experience zero shadow,” said a senior officer, of BM Birla Planetarium

“As you observe, you’ll see the shadow move, but at exactly 12:22 pm, the object’s shadow will disappear for a brief period. Keep observing the shadow’s position as it reappears,” he added.