Meet 'Zero Shadow Day', the bizarre natural optical illusion that occurs twice a year in Hawaii
(Image credit: Responsible-Fox-1985 via Reddit) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Like any magic trick, once you know the secret of an optical…
(Image credit: Responsible-Fox-1985 via Reddit) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Like any magic trick, once you know the secret of an optical illusion, it's hard to fall for it again. But here's an example that still looks absolutely wild even though I know exactly what's going on.Twice a year in Hawaii, the sun passes directly overhead at solar noon. This causes vertical objects to cast no shadow. Known as Lahaina Noon, this phenomenon has resulted in some pretty wild photos that can't help but look like bad Photoshop.Twice a year, Hawai'i experiences a strange moment where the sun appears to be exactly overhead & anything that is completely vertical casts no shadow. Let's learn about Lāhainā Noon, subsolar points & 'Kau ka lā i ka lolo', meaning "the sun rests on the brains."— @c0nc0rdance.bsky.social (@c0nc0rdance.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2026-07-23T12:00:05.322ZCurrently doing the rounds online is what looks like graphic designers botched attempt to superimpose a can of coconut milk into a photo of of a road. But no, it's just a photo – the can is really there. "What's happening is that the sun is exactly and precisely overhead - so any cylindrical objects up on end like this will cast no shadow, sending our minds into an absolute tizzy," says science writer Mike Sowden on Substack.Latest Videos FromWatch full video here: Also known as "zero shadow day", Lāhainā Noon can occur anywhere from 12:16 to 12:43 pm. Hawaii is the only US state in the tropics and thus the only one to experience the phenomenon. (Thanks, Wikipedia.) Twice a year in Hawaii, vertical objects cast no shadow. (Image credit: Eli Fesslier via Wikipedia)From floating boats to overlapping galaxies, the natural world is responsible for some of the most mind-bending optical illusions we've seen in recent years.Get the Creative Bloq NewsletterSign up to Creative Bloq's daily newsletter, which brings you the latest news and inspiration from the worlds of art, design and technology.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors TOPICS Daniel JohnDesign EditorDaniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles. He has interviewed leaders and designers at brands including Apple, Microsoft and Adobe. Daniel's debut book of short stories and poems was published in 2018, and his comedy newsletter is a Substack Bestseller. View More You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. Logout LATEST ARTICLES 1 Chaos just fixed one of the biggest problems with Gaussian Splats: you can finally relight them 2 I learned 5 fundamental truths of game art direction, which weren't always about art 3 Toy Story 5 made $1 billion – Pixar is laying off artists anyway 4 The Kylie Jenner optical illusion 'advert' says what everyone's really thinking about Meta's AI glasses 5 How the FIFA World Cup builds the next wave of destination brandsSource: Creative Bloq AI — Published — Category: Image AI