Bengaluru city in Karnataka is witnessing ‘Zero Shadow Day’ on Tuesday afternoon which is a celestial phenomenon wherein vertical objects wouldn’t have any shadow for a brief period of time in the area.

According to reports, the Zero Shadow Day took place around 12.17 pm in Bengaluru. During this time, the sun is exactly overhead.

The Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) in a statement said, “Zero Shadow Day occurs when the Sun will be directly overhead at local noon, and hence any vertical object will cast no shadow. This happens for places between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, and is on 25 April (and 18 August) for Bengaluru.”

Zero Shadow Day is a rare and unique phenomenon that occurs at different times in different locations on Earth. During this brief period, the sun is precisely overhead at noon without any tilt. Normally, the sun’s position is slightly tilted to the north or south and not directly overhead. The Astronomical Society of India (ASI) explains that on Zero Shadow Day, “the Sun’s declination will be equal to the latitude twice – once during Uttarayan and once during Dakshinayan. On these two days, the Sun will be exactly overhead at noon and will not cast a shadow of an object on the ground.”

Zero Shadow Day occurs twice a year in locations between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, such as Bengaluru. In Bengaluru, it will take place on April 25th and August 18th.