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Time of India
26-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
When shadows ‘ceased to exist'
1 2 3 4 5 6 Nagpur: At 12.10pm on Monday, Nagpur experienced a celestial spectacle known as Zero Shadow Day, when the sun stood directly overhead and shadows weren't visible on the ground. This rare event occurs twice annually between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. Zero Shadow Day happens when the sun's declination aligns with a location's latitude, a result of Earth's 23.5-degree axial tilt. "This phenomenon beautifully demonstrates the interplay of Earth's tilt and its orbit around the sun," said Manoj Kumar Panda, project coordinator at Raman Science Centre & Planetarium, under the National Council of Science Museums, Ministry of Culture. "On this day, the sun is at its zenith, and objects stand shadowless at noon, captivating students and science enthusiasts alike," he said. The Centre organised a workshop to engage students, showcasing the event's significance. At precisely 12.10 pm, participants observed the near absence of shadows, a moment that highlighted the sun's unique position. Unlike cities like Delhi or Srinagar, located beyond the Tropic of Cancer, Nagpur's latitude makes it ideal for this biannual event, with the next occurrence slated for July 17 at 12.20 pm. The Raman Science Centre & Planetarium continues to inspire curiosity through such events, offering hands-on learning about celestial mechanics. Panda noted, "It's a reminder of how science connects us to the cosmos."
Wales Online
09-05-2025
- Health
- Wales Online
The self-tan face drops which shoppers describe as ‘sun-kissed goodness'
The self-tan face drops which shoppers describe as 'sun-kissed goodness' If you are in need of something to help give you the perfect summer glow, this could be the answer to your prayers Lancaster Self Tan Sun-kissed Face Drops (Image: Boots ) Lancaster Self Tan Sun-kissed Face Drops offer a practical way to achieve a natural-looking tan without sun exposure. Designed for easy integration into your daily skincare routine, the drops promise to deliver visible results within one hour and can last up to a week according to Boots. Formulated with natural-origin biotech DHA and Lancaster's Tan Activator Complex, the drops also support the skin's natural tanning process for an even, consistent result. Suitable for year-round use, these face drops are intended to provide a subtle, buildable tan while maintaining your existing skincare regime. And it's also received the seal of approval from shoppers who have been raving about it in the reviews. For money-saving tips, sign up to our Money newsletter here One person entitled their review: 'Sun-kissed goodness' , writing: 'I absolutely love these drops. They're actually the first drops I've ever tried (usually I just apply a normal body self-tanner to the face). 'Because you add drops to a moisturiser every other day or so (I decided to try every day) you get no tan lines on your hairline or under your eyes. 'This makes the tan build and blend effortlessly without being patchy. What results is a beautiful bronze glow that looks great (NO orange) even on my super pale skin. 'The smell of the drops is incredible too. They have a coconut/tropical scent that is lovely and summery. Would absolutely recommend!' Someone else added: 'I recently tried the self tan face drops from Lancaster and I must say, I am thoroughly impressed. 'The product is easy to use and delivers a natural-looking tan without any streaks or blotches. 'The drops are lightweight and blend seamlessly into my skincare routine, giving me a healthy, sun-kissed glow. ' It wasn't for everyone, as one person said: 'I didn't notice much of a difference from using this product, perhaps just a slight glow which is ok if that's what you're after from facial tanning drops.' Yet lots of people were massively impressed. Another happy Boots customer wrote: 'As someone who has tried virtually every facial tan on the market I was really impressed with the natural shade of these tanning drops. 'No fake orange cast, just a lovely natural sun kissed glow that is achieved with minimal effort. Better still doesn't break me out or break up my makeup, just disappears into the skin.' You could also buy this Sun Drops gradual tanning face serum for £26 at Tropic , or the Bronzing Drops from e.l.f for £12 . Article continues below Or for something slightly different you could also go for the Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Drops for £21.95 .
Daily Maverick
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
The legend of Modjadji — sacrifice, prophecy and ethical dilemmas
Somewhere between the Limpopo and Zambezi rivers, where the Tropic of Capricorn slices through the natural splendours of the ancient civilisation of Mapungubwe, survives the Balobedu. This small clan, often mistaken for being Pedi or Venda because of local linguistic varieties and geography, once faced an existential crisis. A relentless drought had parched their lands, withered crops, drained rivers, killed livestock and threatened their survival. As desperation set in, whispers of dissent grew louder. The King, tasked with safeguarding his people, found himself trapped between ancestral traditions and the brutal realities of leadership. His sons, impatient with his inability to end the drought, gathered in secret to strategise – a meeting misconstrued as treason. In a fit of rage and fear, he executed all but his youngest son, a newborn smuggled to safety by loyalists. Yet the skies remained barren and the clan's suffering deepened. As hope dwindled, the King sought guidance from his sangoma, a spiritual intermediary. The sangoma delivered a harrowing decree: to save his people, the King must sire a daughter with his favourite child, Princess Dzugundini. This girl child, they proclaimed, would become the first Rain Queen, a divine conduit to the heavens whose birth would herald life-giving rains. The directive plunged the King into moral torment. Making a baby with his favourite daughter would save his people, the message had promised. Yet the taboo of incest and the betrayal of a beloved child paralysed him. Torn between a moral dilemma and survival, he devised a compromise. He approached another daughter, born to a lesser-loved wife, negotiating a transactional arrangement. In exchange for her compliance, he pledged land, cattle and autonomy to her maternal lineage, a strategic move to preserve his conscience (well, this too was his daughter!) while honouring the ancestors' demand. Their union, however, defied prophecy: a son was born and the drought raged on. The sangoma warned of ancestral wrath; the King had faltered by sidestepping the directive to mate with the chosen one, she who he favourited the most. Forced to atone, he eventually had a 'passionate' encounter with the favoured daughter. Adhering strictly to the 'calling' bore fruits. A girl, Modjadji, was born. Rain soaked the Capricorn, reviving the land and securing the clan's future. Thus began the reign of the Rain Queens – a matrilineal dynasty enduring for decades (only now threatened by succession squabbles). The legend of Modjadji brings to the table profound ethical tensions. The King's choices: executing his sons, manipulating familial bonds and engaging in incest exposes the corrosive compromises leaders face in times of crises. His initial refusal to violate his favourite daughter reflects a flicker of humanity, yet his subsequent bargaining with another child reduces her to a transactional vessel, raising questions about agency and exploitation. It did not work. The sangoma's role further complicates the moral dilemma. By framing the ancestors' will as non-negotiable, the spiritual adviser legitimises acts that transgress societal norms, complicating the King's life. This underscores the risks of conflating divine mandate with human interpretation, a theme resonant in modern debates over authority and ethics. Of course, right now I may be sounding very judgemental, right? To stretch it further, the prophecy's gender specificity may represent patriarchal underpinnings. Only a female heir could summon rain, yet her power derives from male orchestration. While Modjadji's lineage elevates women as rulers, its origin is rooted in their subjugation, illustrating the paradox of 'empowerment' through violation. In any reading and re-reading, context matters. Balobedu's survival came at a cost: the erosion of trust, the commodification of kinship and the moral compromise of a leader who prioritised pragmatism over principle. The Rain Queens' legacy, though celebrated, is a testament to the fraught interplay between cultural preservation and ethical dilemmas whose interpretation can be jaundiced by colonial encounters and Judeo-Christian readings of history and culture. Broadly speaking, this is a reminder that salvation often demands a price not easily reconciled with contrived Euro-American lenses of what constitutes normative social arrangements. Stretching it, again? The tale of Modjadji endures not merely as folklore but as a mirror to humanity's perennial struggle: how far can we go to survive and who bears the scars of our choices? If we go by the script at face value, an ethical line was crossed when the father fathered a child with his daughter. But importantly, a nation was saved through that act; rain fell, and life persisted. Was that not a greater moral obligation – to save the Balobedu? Was it not through the foretold and premeditated murder of Jesus that Christianity was made? While dramatised, with street-level scriptwriting (beyond the opening episodes, the series was poorly chronicled), the Queen Modjadi TV series, currently streaming, opens a window to the ethical questions that the story raises, which deserve more space in our public discourse. DM
The Hindu
22-04-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
‘Zero Shadow Day' observed in Mysuru
The Cosmology Education and Research Training Center (COSMOS), Mysuru, of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics on Tuesday observed 'Zero Shadow Day' at Vignana Bhavan, Manasagangotri here. Amoghavarsha N., Project Associate of COSMOS, IIA, delivered a lecture on the science behind Zero Shadow Day. Later, hands-on experiments and demonstrations were shown to participants by the SCOPE Team of IIA, led by Vikranth Pulamathi. Participants were asked to take readings of the length of the shadow made by the Gnomons (Shanku Yantra) every five minutes from 11.45 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. to note down changes in the shadow. Zero shadow phenomenon was observed at 12.22 p.m., demonstrated by a hollow cylinder on a glass plate along with the Gnomons, according to COSMOS. Yashaswini K.S. and Renjithmon A.A. of IIA showed the sunspots to the participants. The event concluded with participants calculating the declination of the sun, finding the true north, and noting down the zero shadow phenomena, followed by a question and answer session. Zero Shadow Day (ZSD) occurs when the sun is directly overhead (i.e., at the zenith). At this moment, any object held vertically will not cast any shadow on the ground, since the sun's rays fall straight down on it, rather than at an angle. On other days, the sun is not exactly overhead at noon, a press release from COSMOS explained. 'Only locations lying between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn will experience ZSD, which will occur twice a year, corresponding to the northern and southern movements. Since the Earth is tilted on its axis by about 23.5 degrees, as it revolves around the sun, the sun can pass overhead only for locations whose latitude lies between 23.5° N and 23.5° S. Hence, different locations experience ZSD on different days. ZSD for Mysuru is on April 22 and August 19,' the organisation said.
Hans India
22-04-2025
- Science
- Hans India
‘Zero shadow' to hit Bengaluru on April 24
Bengaluru: At exactly 12.17 PM on April 24, when the sun is directly overhead, Bengaluru will experience the 'zero shadow' phenomenon, according to scientists at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA). Niruj Mohan Ramanujam, Head of IIA's Science Communication, Public Outreach, and Education (SCOPE) section, said that during this event, the sun reaches its zenith, causing vertical objects to cast no visible shadows as they fall directly beneath them. All locations in India situated below the Tropic of Cancer—including Bengaluru, Chennai, and Mangaluru—experience Zero Shadow Day, Ramanujam told PTI. In Bengaluru, this occurs typically around April 24–25 and again on August 18, he added. Zero Shadow Day will reach the Tropic of Cancer on June 21, the summer solstice and the end of Uttarayana—the sun's northward journey in the Hindu calendar, Ramanujam further said.
