LOOK: Zero Shadow Day in the Philippines
We know the picture looks fake, but we promise it isn't.
(SPOT.ph) "Everyone has it but no one can lose it." We know the answer to this famous children’s riddle: a shadow. But thanks to an astronomical phenomenon, it seems the riddle can't always hold true.
Yesterday on April 29, Filipinos from all over the country went outside at exactly 11:53 a.m. to catch a fascinating glimpse of their own shadows disappearing beneath their feet in what is called the Zero Shadow Day.
Users tested this with several objects under the sun. Here are the results:
Don’t worry if you missed the chance to experience Zero Shadow Day yourself. According to Earth Shaker Philippines, the phenomenon falls on April 29 and August 13 every year in the country, so make sure to mark your calendars for the next one!
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How does a Zero Shadow Day happen?
A Zero Shadow Day is an astronomical phenomenon that occurs when the sun casts no shadow of objects perpendicular to the ground. This happens twice a year in tropical regions located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, which includes parts of the Philippines.
On Zero Shadow Days, the Sun reaches the zenith—or a point directly above a particular location—causing objects like poles or sticks standing straight up to cast no shadow at all at the moment of solar noon.
“The Sun's rays hit the ground at a perfectly straight angle, almost like a spotlight directly above. As a result, objects or even you cast very short, almost invisible shadows around noon,” Earth Shaker Philippines explained in a post.
In the Philippines, Zero Shadow Days can occur at various times depending on the latitude of the location, but it will typically happen close to the dates when the Sun is at the equator during the equinoxes.
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