'Zero shadow day' makes photos look like AI
Twice a year, areas in the tropics experience an eerie phenomenon that makes photographs look unnatural, but a few clouds at the wrong time can spoil the unique solar event.
Shadows of pedestrians visible minimally as Mumbai experiences Zero Shadow Day phenomenon, at Andheri, on May 15, 2023 in Mumbai, India. (Photo by Vijay Bate/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Two days a year, locations near the tropics experience an unusual phenomenon that causes shadows to vanish, making photos look fake.
"Zero shadow day" occurs when the sun is directly overhead, something that is only possible between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn due to the Earth's tilt.
At the precise moment when the sun is at the highest point in the sky, objects appear as though they do not have a shadow. However, that is not necessarily the case. Instead, shadows are cast straight down, rather than being cast at an angle like they are most days of the year.
A person standing still would only have a shadow at their feet. This can make photos of objects look unnatural, as if they were created by AI.
A level standing upright in Honolulu, Hawaii, on the day of Lahaian Noon, meaning it did not have a shadow. (WikimediaCommons/eli fessler)
Hawaii is the only state in the U.S. that experiences zero shadow day, and is known locally as Lahaian Noon. The exact date of Lahaian Noon varies across the island, but generally occurs once between May 14 and May 30, and again between July 11 and July 28.
Mexico City, Mexico; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Chennai, Mumbai and Bengaluru, India, are a handful of cities around the globe that experience zero shadow day twice a year.
The only catch is that the event only lasts for a few minutes, so one poorly timed cloud could spoil the show.
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