Sun to align with holy Kaaba in Makkah today

KARACHI: The sun will align with the holy Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Makkah on Monday (today) at 14:18 Pakistan Standard Time (PST) and 12:18 Saudi time.

The disc of the sun will be positioned immediately over the Kaaba and it will lose its shadow for a brief time.

The celestial phenomenon called “zero shadow” occurs twice every year at the Grand Mosque because of its location between the Equator and the Tropic of Cancer. The holy structure loses its shadow for some time during this phenomenon.

Due to the tilt of the Earth’s axis, the sun travels at 23.5 degrees north and south of the celestial equator. The sun falls directly overhead on places lying over the equator during the equinox.

“People can determine the exact direction of the holy Kaaba by placing a wooden stick vertically in the ground; the direction of the Qibla will be the exact opposite to the stick’s shadow,” an astronomer added.

The alignment of the sun over the Kaaba in the Grand Mosque occurs biannually in May and July because of its location between the equator and the Tropic of Cancer, according to astronomers. This month, the sun’s first direct passage over the Kaaba will occur today at approximately 2:18 PM Pakistan Standard Time (PKT).