The sky appears different at various times of the day. Its color changes in the morning, afternoon, and night. Along with the sky, the Sun's color and the Moon's shape and size also appear to change over time. These changes influence the activities of birds, animals, plants, and humans throughout the day.
The Sun is the brightest object in the sky, providing us with light and heat. It is so bright that other stars cannot be seen during the daytime when it is present.
The Sun appears to rise in the East in the morning, move overhead till noon, and then gradually move downwards towards the West in the afternoon until it disappears (sets).
Shadows move with us and change shape based on our poses. The length and direction of shadows change systematically throughout the day:
Ancient civilizations used shadows to track time, leading to the invention of the sundial.
Raja Jai Singh of Jaipur built Jantar Mantar observatories in Jaipur, Ujjain, Delhi, Varanasi, and Mathura. These sites feature a massive, highly accurate sundial called the Samrat Yantra, which tells time based on shadow movement.
Shadow Puppetry is a traditional art form practiced in India for a long time, where cut-outs are used to create stories using light and shadows.
After sunset, the sky is filled with thousands of twinkling stars that form patterns, such as Saptarshi (Seven Sages). The Moon is the largest and most prominent object in the night sky.
The Moon's shape changes from night to night:
Many cultural festivals in India are celebrated based on the phases of the Moon:
India's lunar exploration program, the Chandrayaan Mission, achieved a historic milestone on 23 August 2023, when the Vikram Lander successfully landed on the Moon's surface to collect scientific data.