Bhubaneswar to witness Rare celestial event ‘Zero Shadow Day’ today

Bhubaneswar: The residents of Bhubaneswar on Sunday are getting ready to witness a unique astronomical phenomenon known as ‘Zero Shadow Day’, when vertical objects appear to cast no shadow. This event will be observed in the capital city of Odisha at 11:43 am. The Pathani Samanta planetarium has made special arrangements for people to witness this rare celestial event.

‘Zero Shadow Day’ is a rare celestial event that occurs when the Sun reaches its highest point in the sky. During the Zero Shadow time, the vertical objects will cast no shadows on the ground. This was because the sun was at its zenith, and so the shadow was directly under the object.

‘Zero Shadow Day’ occurs twice a year, once in the northern hemisphere and another in the southern hemisphere. Both the astronomers and photographers use this opportunity for their own gain. Astronomers use this opportunity to study the Sun’s movements, while photographers use it to capture stunning images.

Why does a Zero Shadow Day happen?
The Zero Shadow Day happens two times. One falls during the Uttarayan when the Sun moves from south to north from the winter solstice to summer solstice, and the other is during Dakshinayan when the Sun moves southwards.

Uttarayan and Dakshinayan happen because Earth’s rotation axis is tilted at an angle of roughly 23.5° to the axis of revolution around the Sun.