Mumbai witnesses Zero Shadow Day after Hyderabad, Bengaluru

In this phenomenon, the sun is positioned directly overhead causing no shadows to be formed on the earth's surface.

Heard of the ‘Zero Shadow Day?'

People experience Zero Shadow Day (Representative image) (HT File Photo)

Mumbaikars today witnessed this rare phenomenon in which no shadows were formed even as the sun shone brightly. People took to their social media handles to post pictures of the day.

In this phenomenon that occurs twice a year, the sun is positioned directly overhead causing no shadows to be formed on the earth's surface. This means that the sun reaches its highest point in the sky which results in the reduction of the length of the shadow to the extent that it is no longer to be seen.

“We have all studied in school that the Earth’s rotation axis is inclined at 23.5 degrees to the plane of its revolution around the Sun, which is why we have seasons. This also means that the Sun, in its highest point of the day, will move from 23.5 degrees south of the celestial equator to 23.5 degrees north of the equator (Uttarayan), and back again (Dakshinayan), in a year. Of course, the northern most and southern most points are the two solstices, and the crossing of the Sun across the equator are the two equinoxes,” the Astronomical Society of India (ASI) mentions on its website.

Hyderabad witnessed this rare celestial phenomenon on Monday around 12 PM. The Birla Planetarium organised an event to demonstrate the phenomenon whereas the residents of Bengaluru got the opportunity to witness the event last month.