Zero Shadow Day to be observed in Aurangabad on May 19

Aurangabad, April 30:

City is reeling under a coronavirus crisis, but the residents can certainly look up to the sky for an astronomical marvel Zero Shadow Day over the next few days. The Zero Shadow Day in Aurangabad is predicted on May 19. This phenomenon occurs twice a year, as the Sun gets exactly overhead at noon and does not cast a shadow of an object on the ground.

Aurangabad district and its tehsils will observe the Zero Shadow Day from May 19 and would continue to do so till May 20, while Maharashtra is observing Zero Shadow days from May 3 to 31 at different places. It is predicted that in Aurangabad, the shadow will completely vanish during noon on May 19. Usually, school students and enthusiasts get a chance to participate in a programme organised by sky gazers, but amidst Covid-19 lockdown, no such events will be organised in the city. According to astronomer Shrikant Padole, it is possible to get rid of the shadow, even if it is only for a few minutes. This is a biannual phenomenon when the sun is exactly overhead and a person’s shadow disappears for a few minutes.

What does it mean

The sun will be exactly overhead at any place and will cast almost no shadow of objects on the ground, two times a year, between places 23.5-degree latitude on both hemispheres. On this day, in a place, a vertical pole will cast no shadow, Padole said.

How can you observe the phenomenon

One can just stand in the sun and observe his shadow becoming zero or can use a vertical pole fixed to the ground, or keep a hollow tube upright on a clean sheet of glass, which is balanced perfectly horizontal and watch the exact thin circular shadow cast during the zero shadow time.