For any operator $M$ acting on an $N$-dimensional Hilbert space $H_N$ we introduce its numerical shadow, which is a probability measure on the complex plane supported by the numerical range of $M$. The shadow of $M$ at point $z$ is defined as the probability that the inner product $(Mu,u)$ is equal to $z$, where $u$ stands for a random complex vector from $H_N$, satisfying $||u||=1$. In the case of N=2 the numerical shadow of a non-normal operator can be interpreted as a shadow of a hollow sphere projected on a plane. A similar interpretation is provided also for higher dimensions. For a hermitian $M$ its numerical shadow forms a probability distribution on the real axis which is shown to be a one dimensional $B$-spline. In the case of a normal $M$ the numerical shadow corresponds to a shadow of a transparent solid simplex in $R^{N-1}$ onto the complex plane. Numerical shadow is found explicitly for Jordan matrices $J_N$, direct sums of matrices and in all cases where the shadow is rotation invariant. Results concerning the moments of shadow measures play an important role. A general technique to study numerical shadow via the Cartesian decomposition is described, and a link of the numerical shadow of an operator to its higher-rank numerical range is emphasized.

37 pages, 8 figures