Astrophysicists display effects of ‘Zero Shadow Day’ in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Astrophysicists at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics in Bengaluru demonstrated the effects of “Zero Shadow Day” at 12:17 in the afternoon on Tuesday.

Before the formal demonstration, astrophysicist Dr Niruj Mohan Ramanujam interacted with school and college students at the institute’s auditorium providing an insight into the unique celestial event.

“Below the equator starting from Bhopal to Kanyakumari including Andaman and Nicobar, this celestial event happens twice each year on different dates,” Dr Ramanujam said explaining the phenomenon to those gathered here.

At the lawns of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, there were demonstration kits kept in place to see the vanishing shadow that occurred exactly at 12.17 pm as predicted by astrophysicists.

The event which is said to occur when the sun is at the highest point in the sky from earth unfolded amid some anxious moments at the institute here.

The scientists and students were briefly worried as partial clouds could have prevented sunlight from reaching the lawns. As time passed, there was clear sky and the celestial event was witnessed by everyone at the research institute.