Weather of Arabia - The sky of Makkah Al-Mukarramah witnessed this afternoon an exceptional astronomical phenomenon that is repeated for the second time this year, and it is the sun perpendicular to the Kaaba, and during this phenomenon the sun is parallel to the Kaaba, which leads to the disappearance of the shadow of the Kaaba on the ground.
The phenomenon of the sun perpendicular to the Kaaba is known as “Al-Tasamit”, according to the Astronomical Society in Jeddah, and it is a phenomenon that is repeated twice annually. South through the equator as the earth rotates around the sun once a year.
Regions located at latitudes less than 23.5 degrees north or south experience this event twice a year, but at different times, depending on the latitude of the place.
The most prominent use of this astronomical phenomenon is determining the direction towards the qiblah, especially in areas far from the city of Mecca in the Arab and Islamic countries and all areas where the sun is above the horizon. Directly towards Mecca with an accuracy equivalent to the accuracy of digital applications for smart phones.
The phenomenon of perpendicularity is also used to calculate the circumference of the globe in a non-digital way, using some simple methods in geometry, and it also indicates the sphericity of our planet.
The event of the sun perpendicular to the Kaaba is repeated twice annually, and the first time in this year was last May, during the apparent movement of the sun and its transition from the equator to the Tropic of Cancer, and the next perpendicularity that the Kaaba will witness will be in May next year 2024
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