Keep your tryst with another Natural Phenomenon Across Karnataka From April 24
In the coming days, as the Sun makes its way across the sky, moving towards the north with each passing day, depending upon where one lives, the Sun will pass through the Zenith. This is Zero Shadow Day. Zenith is the point exactly above one’s head wherever one stands. Given the earth is a sphere-globe, this point varies from place to place with respect to the sky.
At any other point, with the Sun-facing an individual at an angle, his/her shadow will be cast on the ground around the person. As the sun reaches higher in the sky, the length of the shadow reduces and on this day, when the sun is exactly above one’s head, it casts a shadow exactly below. Since one stands on this shadow, one does not really see their shadow making the shadow invisible… or Zero shadow.
With the Earth titled at an angle of 23.5 degrees (as the globes are made), as the earth moves around the Sun, the sun appears to move from north to south, appearing at the Zenith on two days of the year for all people living between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn. The two days occur in April-May and August every year. With August coinciding with the monsoon and April, a summer month, the chances of observing Zero Shadow Day is higher during this time.
This is one of the easiest astronomical phenomena that can be observed without the use of any instrument.
People in Mangaluru aka Namma Kudla will observe Zero Shadows at 12:28pm on April 24 and in Udupi on April 25 at 12.29pm. People in Bengaluru will have their Zero Shadow moment on the April 24 at 12.18pm.
ZERO SHADOW DAYS IN KARNATAKA
| Date | Place | Date | Place |
| April 22 | Mysuru, Madikeri | May 1 | Hubballi, Hospet, Ballari |
| April 23 | Mandya, Puttur | May 2 | Dharwad, Gadag, Koppal |
| April 24 | Mangaluru, Hassan, Bengaluru | May 3 | Belagavi, Sindhanur |
| April 25 | Udupi, Chikamagaluru, Tumkur, Chikkaballapura | May 4 | Gokak, Bagalkot, Raichur |
| April 26 | Kundapura, Thirthahalli, Gauribidanur | May 6 | Yadgir |
| April 27 | Bhatkal, Shivamogga, Channagiri | May 7 | Vijayapura |
| April 28 | Honnavara, Kumta, Shikaripura, Chitradurga | May 9 | Kalaburgi |
| April 29 | Gokarna, Sirsi, Ranebennur, Davanagere | May 10 | Hunmabad |
| April 30 | Karwar, Haveri | May 11 | Bidar |
Source: PAAC, Udupi (Twitter @paacppc)
The shadows for the above place will disappear for a minute between 12.15pm for eastern and 12.35pm for western parts of the state.
In order to observe Zero Shadow, an object needs to have an equal or increasing width from top to bottom, like a cylinder, cube or a cone. Poles, Traffic Cones or an Inverted Glass Tumbler. Humans have a broader upper body than our lower half and hence would cast a very small amount of shadow which will be minimum on Zero Shadow Day.
This post has been published in arrangement with Jaideep J Shenoy
