Pune witnesses Zero Shadow Day virtually due to COVID-19

Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent restrictions imposed by the Maharashtra government, people in Pune virtually witnessed the Zero Shadow day at around 12.31 pm on Thursday.

The phenomena of Zero Shadow Day occurs twice a year, for places between +23.5 and -23.5 degrees latitude. During this, the sun’s position is at its zenith (highest imaginary point directly above a location, on the imaginary celestial sphere). Since the earth is tilted at 23.5 degrees to the plane of its revolution around the sun, for people living in +23.5 and -23.5 degrees latitude, the sun’s angular distance of a point north or south of the equator will be equal to their latitude twice a year; once when it is moving from the north towards the equator (Uttarayan) and once when it is moving south to the equator (Dakshinyan). 

These are the two days when the sun will not cast a shadow of the object on the ground, which takes place in regions along between the tropics — the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.

This year due to the ongoing pandemic, the Astronomy amateur clubs for school students and the general public, went online this year. Pune’s Jyotirvidya Parisanstha (JVP), India’s oldest Astronomy amateur group, streamed the event live via their social media channels on Thursday.

Though the phenomena have started in the coastal cities of Maharashtra, amateurs and experts in Aurangabad are ready to witness it on May 19. The occurrence will take place in July again this year, but it would be comparatively difficult to witness it during the monsoon.