Bangalore to Experience Rare Zero Shadow Day on April 24 — When the Sun Erases All Shadows!

On April 24, Bengaluru will experience Zero Shadow Day, a rare phenomenon where the Sun is positioned directly overhead, causing vertical objects to cast no shadow. This event happens twice a year in the tropical regions of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

For the unversed, the tropical regions are those parts of the Earth between the Tropic of Cancer at 23.4°N latitude and the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.4°S latitude.

On this day, the Sun rises exactly in the East and sets exactly in the West, and for a brief moment, all objects lose their shadows completely. Technically, on this day, the Sun’s declination—i.e., the angular distance of the Sun on the celestial sphere above or below the Equator—is equal to the latitude of the location.

The Sun’s rays will be perpendicular to any object on Earth, and no shadows will be formed for some time. Different parts of the world have Zero Shadow Days on different dates.

The Zero Shadow occurs for a brief period and usually happens around noon. At noon, the Sun is at its highest point in the sky. However, for the rest of the day, shadows will appear as usual because of the rotation of the Earth.

All students of Geography know that the Earth is tilted at 23.5 degrees on its imaginary axis. The seasons, like summer and winter, are also a result of this tilt. It is because of this tilt that cities in the Arctic Circle have long months of daylight and nights.

It is also because of the tilt that the Sun never travels in a straight line across the sky throughout the year. The Sun is directly overhead only in the tropics, and even then, this occurs only during specific months of the year when this unique phenomenon takes place.

‘Zero Shadow Day’ Important Facts

The phenomenon only happens in the regions between the Tropics and the Equator.

The phenomenon happens two times a year.

Cities like Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, and Hyderabad have ‘Zero Shadow Day.’

The phenomenon of no shadows being formed by vertical objects happens only for a few moments around noon.

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