LOTR: If The One Ring Turns The Wearer Invisible, Why Do They Still Cast A Shadow?

gamerant.com:

Many Lord of the Rings and Hobbit fans have wondered how the wearer of the ring is always able to avoid detection. Although the ring obviously gives the gift of invisibility, the person would still have to be very careful about other markers that might alert an enemy to their presence, for example moving silently, breathing as quietly as possible, and making sure not to brush up against branches or leave footprints in the grass or snow, depending on the weather.

However, some eagle-eyed Tolkien enthusiasts have noticed another interesting thing in the book that the wearer of the ring must look out for: A shadow! There are a couple of instances in which Bilbo, when wearing the ring, is almost caught because of a faint shadow that he casts.

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For example, when he is in the Goblin Tunnels, trying to escape from Gollum who has just threatened to eat him, the ring betrays him and almost gets him killed. He tries to sneak out, but ‘suddenly one of the goblins inside shouted: “There is a shadow by the door, something’s outside!’’’. Luckily, the hobbit manages to squeeze past without being captured, and reunites with his friends the dwarves. He learns a valuable lesson from this encounter, and later, when the elves of Mirkwood capture the company, he keeps well away from them. They don’t see him because the ring makes him invisible, ‘nor did they hear him trotting along well behind their torch-light as they led their prisoners off into the forest.’ Clearly, he has realized to stay away from light that might be blocked out by his physical form, and this remains true for the whole time he is hiding in the elven palace trying to rescue his friends, as he keeps a