| Abstract : | Since 2017, POEC-ASI, Vigyan Prasar, All India Peoples Science Movement (AIPSN), and other agencies have leveraged the 'Zero Shadow Day (ZSD)' for public outreach. The activities that can be carried out around the ZSD are low-cost/no-cost, do not require intricate expertise and hence have the potential for mass replication. The talk would describe a) how the activities help conduct 'daytime astronomy' investigative science projects in school settings, among others, like finding cardinal direction, local noon, and the latitude of the place, and b) capture the imagination of the public by the spectacular display and discuss the role of the sun's movement from day to day along your horizon – at the sunrise or sunset point- in the evolution of calendars c) provide a glimpse of how passage of time was computed using shadows in ancient times in everyday practices. The experience of organising this event in Tamil Nadu for the past seven years and critical lessons for outreach and astronomy education will be discussed. |
