Experience The Lāhainā Noon Phenomenon — Which Only Occurs In Hawaii

Everyone knows that Hawaii is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Just take a look at what all the nature here has to offer! That said, there’s a certain phenomenon in Hawaii that’s known for what you can’t see rather than what you can. This rare event only takes place twice a year, and it’s called Lāhainā Noon.

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As I’m sure you know, when an object or a person stands in front of a light, it casts a shadow. This is something you’ll notice a lot in sunny, outdoor areas. But have you ever imagined what it would be like for those very shadows to disappear? During Lāhainā Noon, you don’t have to imagine! Check out this strange sight in the video below.

“Wow it makes the objects look like a video game or Virtual reality lol,” someone points out in the comments. Others add, “Looks like everything is floating” and “You never really notice how conditioned you are to always see a shadow until you see this. That’s so crazy.”

While this appears to be magic, there’s science behind this phenomenon. Turns out, when the Sun is directly overhead (at a 90-degree angle, to be more specific), it’s possible for certain objects outdoors to not have a shadow. How wild is that!? This event takes place two times a year at noon. The days aren’t exact, but they take place in May and July.

While this event does take place in other areas of the tropics, the term Lāhainā Noon originates from, and is used almost exclusively, in Hawaii. In fact, the name came about in quite a fun way. In 1990, the Bishop Museum in Honolulu held a contest to name this phenomenon. Lāhainā ultimately won because it means “cruel sun.”

You can find the source of this story’s featured image here!