Go ‘shadowless’ in Hyderabad on May 9

While the window of the planetary event is quite short, it promises to provide a captivating display of astronomy in action.

Hyderabad: People in Hyderabad will experience a unique celestial event on May 9, when they will not be able to see their own shadows! Yes, the rare and fleeting astronomical phenomenon — ‘Zero Shadow Day’ — will occur in Hyderabad between 12.12 pm and 12.19 pm.

On Zero Shadow Day, the sun will be exactly overhead at noon (local time) and vertical objects will not cast a visible shadow. While the window of the planetary event is quite short, it promises to provide a captivating display of astronomy in action.

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“This celestial event also provides us with a glimpse into the intricate dance between the Earth and Sun. It’s a reminder of the precise celestial mechanics that govern our months and seasons. In the entire month of May, several locations in the two Telugu States will witness Zero Shadow Day,” says founder-secretary of Planetary Society of India (PSI) N Sree Raghunandan Kumar.

According to the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), the Sun does not rise exactly in the east and set exactly in the west every day.

It also does not rise directly overhead at noon and does not reach its highest point at noon every day. As a result, the elevation of the Sun at its maximum height also varies throughout the year.