The Bizarre Effects of the Subsolar Point

SUPPORT CR on PATREON: Take a look at Lahaina Noon, an event that takes place in Hawaii twice a year where shadows disappear. Twice every year, in the US state of Hawaii, shadows completely disappear.  Objects take on a “photoshopped“ look as they sit completely illuminated with no shadows indicating the source of the light. This phenomenon is known as Lahaina Noon. Hawaii is the only state in the US where this bizarre event can be observed, but at some place on the earth, this event is always taking place. This place is correlated to a principle called the subsolar point. The subsolar point is the exact location on any given planet where the sun appears to be directly overhead and thus the sun’s rays hit the surface at exactly 90 degrees. This causes shadows for the emitted light to fall directly below an object. This point moves westward as the earth rotates and travels between the Tropic of Cancer, ° north of the equator, and the Tropic of Capricorn, south of the equator, meaning that only locations within these bounds will experience the phenomenon. All images and videos courtesy of the creative commons or used in accordance with fair use laws. Please utilize the contact section of our channel for any concerns or questions. Dark Fog by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license () Source: Artist: