Some countries already witnessed Zero Shadow Day; what about UAE?

The UAE will not witness the Zero Shadow Day in Dubai this year although it will experience minimum shadow in the month of June.

Most recently, different parts of the globe like the USA and some parts of India experienced ‘Zero Shadow Day’ with some other parts of the world like Ecuador, Singapore and Muscat set to experience it soon.

The Zero Shadow Day is a phenomenon that occurs twice a year, during which the Sun is exactly overhead, and there is no shadow cast by any object on the ground. It is a rare celestial event that occurs only in specific locations and at specific times of the year.

Last year the southern regions of the UAE like Umm Al Zamoul, Liwa, Madinat Zayed, and Al Quaa witnessed the 'Zero shadow day' from June 6 to July 7. The astronomical event highlights the Earth's position in relation to the Sun and provides insight into the complex interplay between light and shadow on our planet.

Sarath Raj, project director – Amity Dubai Satellite Ground Station and AmiSat, Amity University Dubai, said: “Zero Shadow Day also offers photography enthusiasts a unique opportunity to capture stunning images of objects without shadows. In addition to the Zero Shadow Day, there is also a related phenomenon called the ‘Double Shadow Day’, which occurs when the Sun is directly overhead at two different times of the day, resulting in objects casting two shadows in opposite directions.

“There will be no Zero Shadow Day in Dubai in the year 2023. However, the Summer Solstice on June 21 at 12.20 will have the minimum shadow in Dubai with a latitude of 24.454° and longitude of 54.377°. At this time, objects on the ground will cast the minimum amount of shadows due to the Sun's position directly overhead. The distance from the Equator to this location is approximately 2797.74km, while the distance from the Tropic of Cancer is approximately -196.31 km.”

Dubai Astronomy Group CEO Hasan Al Hariri said: “The Zero Shadow Day occurs in locations between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn during the respective solstices in June and December. During the June solstice, the Zero Shadow Day occurs in the Northern Hemisphere, while during the December solstice, it occurs in the Southern Hemisphere.

“The solstice occurs because of the tilt of the Earth's axis relative to its orbit around the Sun. During the solstice, the hemisphere tilted towards the Sun receives the most direct sunlight, resulting in longer days and shorter nights. The hemisphere tilted away from the Sun receives the least amount of direct sunlight, resulting in shorter days and longer nights.

“The Zero Shadow Day occurs at latitudes where the Sun's declination is equal to the latitude's angle from the equator and lasts only a few minutes at each location. During the equinoxes, the Sun's declination is 0°, and the Zero Shadow Day occurs at the equator.

“The Tropic of Cancer is at 23.5 degrees north and the equivalent line of latitude south of the Equator is called the Tropic of Capricorn. The Sun's location moves from 23.5°N to 23.5°S of Earth's equator and back. All places whose latitude equals the angle between the Sun's location and the equator on that day experience zero shadow day, with the shadow beneath an object at local noon. Astronomers use this phenomenon to calibrate time as well,” Hariri added.

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