Hyderabad Witnesses ‘Zero Shadow Day’, A Rare Celestial Event, Pics Go Viral

Hyderabad, the capital city of Telangana, experienced a rare celestial phenomenon known as Zero Shadow Day on Thursday afternoon. It occurs when the sun’s position is directly overhead, casting no shadow on the earth’s surface. 

The tilt of the Earth’s axis and its rotation around the sun cause the cosmic event to take place. Due to this tilt, the sun’s rays’ angle varies throughout the year, resulting in a variety of shadow lengths and directions.

The sun’s rays reach their highest point in the sky, reducing the length of the shadow. That’s how the shadows of vertical objects become invisible, hence the term “Zero Shadow”.

“For people living between +23.5 and -23.5 degrees latitude, the Sun’s declination will be equal to their latitude twice-once during Uttarayan and once during Dakshinayan. On these two days, the Sun will be exactly overhead at noon and will not cast a shadow of an object on the ground,” the Astronomical Society of India noted.

Several Hyderabad residents posted videos and pictures on their social media handles when there was no shadow from the sunlight.

Zero shadow
3 August.. 12:23 pm#zero_shadow_day#witness#Hyderabadpic.twitter.com/BCZDlmvvAx

— Shyam kumar 🇮🇳 (@Shyamkr123) August 3, 2023

Zero Shadow Day#India 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/uq4d4pqXws

— Deepak Kumar (@Deepu_the_best) August 3, 2023

According to astrophysicist Debiprosad Duari, “People and any object, all around the world, staying between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn lose their shadows, though momentarily, twice a year. These two moments are called zero shadow moments.”

The actual phenomenon only lasts a fraction of a second, but its effect can be seen for up to a minute and a half.