International Astronomical Center

So far, the earliest sighting of the crescent -after sunset- was on Wednesday 04 June 2008 by ICOP member Mr. Baharrudin Zainal from Malaysia, the crescent was also seen on this day from Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan, Morocco, Senegal, Tanzania, Nigeria, UK and USA.

Tuesday 03 June 2008:

• Pakistan: Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Muhammad Sultan Alam mentioned that he was not able to see the crescent by naked eye and it was partly cloudy.

• USA:
  1. Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Milad Ali Ershaghi from (Hapuna Beach, HI) said: "Although all indications were that the crescent would not be visible on the evening of June 3rd - I still attempted to make a sighting. I was positioned on the west coast of the big island of Hawaii - at Hapuna Beach: N 19.99389, W -155.82806, with no obstructions - and did not see the moon. Sunset time was 7:00pm and moonset time was 7:29pm - and I attempted to look for the moon between 7:00pm and approximately 7:20pm. Insha'Allah I will try to look for the new moon this evening (June 4th) and send my sighting report."

  2. Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Jim Stamm said: "Elongation was 5.5 degrees. I am attempting to set a lower limit on observability. There was a similar observation from the same mountain, this same day in the morning, for the old Moon, with similar results."
     Mr. Stamm added in another email:
     "Location = Tucson, Arizona (USA)
     I was NOT able to see the crescent, even through a telescope.
     Yesterday was a rare chance to attempt the observation of both an “Old Moon” and a “New Moon” with elongations of about 5.5 degrees, with relative altitude about the same. Although the atmosphere was not perfect (haze and moderate humidity), I was offered a chance to test for two lower limiits of visual observation from Mt. Lemmon. I would estimate a 95% chance of correct field of view, and a 90% chance of correct focus for both observations. The visual impression through the eyepiece above the obvious layer of haze (2-3 degrees) was that I should have seen the crescent, but I didn’t."

Wednesday 04 June 2008:

• Indonesia:
  1. Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Mutoha Arkanuddin said: "Negative sighting from Indonesia for the Jumadal Thani cresent on Wednesday evening (4/6). The group members from Indonesian Crescents Observation (ICO) who sighting the crescent from any location entire the Indonesian region reported that they were not able to see the crescent. Most of them were reported that the Western sky was partly cloudy. However the Indonesian government was announced that the first day of Jumadal Thani is Thursday, 5 June 2008 using calculation method (moon altitude > 2°, moon-sun elongation > 3° and moon age > 8 hours). More: http://rukyatulhilal.org."

  2. Not Seen: ICOP member, Mr. AR Sugeng Riyadi said: "The Waxing (New) Crescent of Jumadal Tsaniyah 1429 AH, was NOT SEEN from my location:
     Observed: Wednesday, 2008 June 04
     Location = Bendo Ketitang Juwirig Klaten - Central Java Indonesia
     Longitude = 110°44' E
     Latitude = 7°41 S
     Elevation = 98 meters
     Time Zone = GMT+7 hours
     Because the western horizon was cloudy and the crescent alt less than 6° @ sunset. More about our activity, visit http://blogcasa.wordpress.com/"

• Malaysia:
  1. Cloudy: ICOP member, Mr. Kassim Bahali said: "Seeing the hilal at Al-Khawarizmi at Melaka was tried but the hilal was not seen because the western sky near horizon was cloudy but the sun was seen at sunset."

  2. Seen: ICOP member, Mr. Baharrudin Zainal said: "I just want to give this information, the earliest young moon sighting on 4 June 2008 are coming from our place, KUSZA Observatory (lat 5.5 N, long 102.9 E, GMT +8). The moon has been sighting at 7.40, about 18 minutes after sunset. The age of the moon is around 15.9 hour. Herewith, I enclosed the photograph of the moon. Please visit our wesite, http:///www.falak.udm.edu.my."
     

• Bangladesh: Cloudy: ICOP member, Mr. ABM Hassan said: "Ruiyati Hilal Majlish and Islamic Foundation Both have announced that the moon was not seen in Bangladesh on Wednesday,4th june. The sky was cloudy througout the country."

• Pakistan:
  1. Not Seen/Hazy: ICOP member Mr. Tahir Gul Hasan mentioned that he was not able to see the crescent by binoculars and it was hazy.

  2. Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Muhammad Sultan Alam said: "Tonight i.e. on 4 June 2008, crescent moon was easily visible by naked eyes according to the nearly all old and new criteria of moon-sighting. I requested many members of the moon-sighting committees of our institute "JAMIA-TUR-RASHEED" and many of my friends all over Pakistan to sight the moon but the moon could not be sighted. The names of the reporters are as follows:
     1. Muhammad Sultan Alam + 20 ulama and students (Nazimabad 4, Karachi. 8 degrees pollution + partially cloudy)
     2. Maulana Shahbaz + 50 ulama and students ("JAMIA-TUR-RASHEED", Ahsanabad, Karachi, Sindh. 5 degrees pollution + partially cloudy)
     3. Maulana Khushtar (Masroor Base, Karachi, Sindh. sky was partially cloudy)
     4. Maulana Ihsan Tabassum + Maulana Mubashshir + 25 ulama and students (Abbotabad, N.W.F.P. Partially cloudy and polluted)
     5. Maulana Noor Wahid Shah + 3 persons (Battal, N.W.F.P. sky was clear)
     6. Maulana Rustam + 9 persons (Hango, N.W.F.P. SKY was clear)
     7. Maulana Ahsan Zafar + 40 ulama (Korangi, Karachi, partially cloudy & polluted)
     8. Maulana Ilyas Adil + 6 persons ( Mareepur, Karachi- partially cloudy & polluted)
     9. Major(R) Nasir + one person ( Clifton, Karachi, Partially cloudy & polluted)
     10. Maulana Abdul-Qahhar + one person (Pishin, Baluchistan. sky was clear)
     11. Maulana Shafee-ullah + 30 ulama & students (Kohat, N.W.F.P. sky was clear)
     12. Maulana Abdul-Hakeem + 2 Ulama (Texela, Punjab. 10 degrees clouds)
     13. Maulana Husain (Charsaddah, N.W.F.P. very cloudy)
     Note: Chairman of central official moon sighting committee of Pakistan "Mufti Munee-bur-Rahman" told me on my personal mobile phone that because he did not receive any positive report of moon sighting from all over the Pakistan, therefore he has officially announced that Thursday June 05, 2008 is the 30th Jumadal-oola and 1st Jumadath-thaniah 1429 will fall on Friday June 06, 2008 in Pakistan."

• Iran:
  1. Not Seen/Hazy: ICOP member Mr. Mohammad Zahed Aram mentioned that he was not able to see the crescent by binoculars and it was hazy.

  2. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Majid Marzani mentioned that he was able to see the crescent by binoculars.

  3. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Asadollah Khoddam Mohammadi mentioned that he was able to see the crescent by binoculars.
     

  4. Not Seen/Hazy: ICOP member Mr. Majid Marzani said: "Seeing the crescent by binoculars was tried, but it was not seen."

• Iraq: Seen: ICOP member Mr. Hassan Alsabbar said: "Observing Crescent is difficult because some of the dust found in the horizon but the team was able to see it by using the telescope and then the naked eye"
  

• Kuwait: Seen: ICOP member Mr. Hussain Khushaish said: "In Kuwait on Wednesday 4 Jun 2008, the events of sighting went as follows: sun disc disappeared behind haze at 18:37, sun set at 18:45, first seen with 10*50 binocular by my friend Dr. Hussain Dashty at 19:02, first seen with 20*60 binocular by me at 19:05, glimpsed the crescent for few seconds at 19:16, last seen with binocular at 19:23. Actually we were 5 persons and only 2 of us confirmed seeing the crescent for sure. For me I think what I saw was the memory image of the crescent in my mind after seeing it with the binocular. The western Horizon was hazy up to 5~6 degrees. Photos are attached."
  

• Saudi: Not Seen/Hazy: ICOP member Mr. Saleh Al-Saab said: "There was a good chance for sighting the crescent, it was more than TEN degrees above horizon at sunset, but the weather was very dusty because of the dust storm we had this afternoon."

• UAE: Not Seen/Hazy: ICOP member Mr. Mohammad Odeh said: "The crescent was not seen even by binoculars due to the humid weather."

• Jordan: Seen: ICOP member Ms. Basma Diab said: "We were 7 members of the Jordanian Astronomical Society. We were on the roof of a high building. The new crescent was seen by binocular then easily by naked eye."

• Morocco: Seen: ICOP member Mr. Othman Fadli mentioned that he was able to see the crescent by naked eye.

• Senegal: Seen: ICOP member Mr. Ibrahima Thierno Lo said: "In Senegal, Oustaz Mouhamed Diop and Mbalo KHOUMA (two members of our Network observers of the crescent moon) have seen the crescent moon in Dakar, precisely in Thiaroye Azur, by naked eyes, Wednesday, June 4, 2008 (29 jumada al awwal). The crescent was very thin and the sky was partly Cloudy. The sun's rays were barely visible few minutes before sunset. It looked like the full moon. However, the National Commission of the crescent moon was informed after making his statement. It announced that the crescent moon has not been sighted anywhere in Senegal. We have contacted the president of national the commission only around 22:00 because his phone was closed."

• Tanzania: Seen: ICOP member Mr. Zaffar Sheriff said: "The sky was relatively clear, but haze just above the horizon made it difficult to spot the crescent. We have not experienced such an exercise with clear skies, particlarly with under 20hour crescent."

• Nigeria:
  1. Cloudy: ICOP member Mr. Usman Dukku said: "I sighted the crescent in thin clouds with another brother, Professor Muhammad H Muhammad at 19:27 local time, here in Bauchi (9 Deg; 50 min East 10 deg;19 min North)."

  2. Cloudy: ICOP member Imam Majolagbe Monsuru mentioned that he was not able to see the crescent by naked eye and it was partly cloudy.

• South Africa: Not Seen: ICOP member Dr. Abdurrazak Ebrahim mentioned that he was not able to see the crescent even by telescope.

• Germany: Cloudy: ICOP member Mr. Gerhard Ahmad Kaufmann mentioned that it was cloudy.

• UK:
  1. Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Abdurrashid Ayoubi from Kettering mentioned that he was not able to see the crescent by naked eye and it was partly cloudy.

  2. Cloudy: ICOP member Mr. Maqsood Fazel from Manchester said: "Attempted to see the crescent from 22:00 to 22:25 but unfortunately it was not seen due to clouds."

  3. Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Mohammad Baig from Slough said: "With much expectations and preparations, the crescent was not seen because Western horizon was partially cloudy. I even drove to two other locations within the town but it was not to be."

  4. Seen: ICOP member Dr. Muhammad Afifi al-Akiti from Oxford said: "Positive sighting in London. A group of us, including a filming crew, sighted the Jumada al-Akhira crescent at Croydon Mosque at the end of the 29th day of Jumada al-Ula (Wednesday, 4 June 2008). The western horizon is partly cloudy and the new crescent was difficult to sight. However, a number of people sighted it around 22.00 (position: approximately 300 degrees West; altitude around 10 degrees). The orientation of the crescent was 150 degrees. This local UK sighting is further supported by reports of positive sightings in Fez, Morocco, which confirms that the first day of Jumada al-Akhira in the UK is tomorrow, Thursday, the 5th of June (beginning from today's Maghrib). Allahu akbar, hilAlu khayrin wa-rushdin x3!"

  5. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Sulayman Gani from London said: "After Maghrib Salaat over 20 people observed and sighted the hilal with the naked eye from the roof of Croydon Masjid. Ayoob Kara, an experienced observer sighted the hilal first. Other observers included Mufti Yusuf(Imam Croydon Masjid), A Bismilllah (Imam Central Jamea Masjid), Shuaib Yusuf, Abdul Gani Memon, Rashid Bhatti ( Trustee AbuBakr Masjid), Zubair Ahmad (Chairman), Ibrahim Okhai and Sulayman Gani( Imam Tooting Islamic Centre). Alhamdulillah the actual sighting of the hilal was video recorded which you will receive shortly. We commence the month of Jumada al Thani on Thurday, 5 June."

  6. Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Qamar Uddin from York said: "A few of us (included Shaykh Zubair Ahmed) have tried to sight the crescent moon (Hilal) from York (UK) today (Wednesday, 4/6/2008) after the sunset (Magrib) prayer for about 1 hour. Unfortunately, the western horizon was overcast with clouds and so we were unable to sight the 25 hrs old Hilal, which should have been easily visible, otherwise. However, there was a moon sighting seminar in Croydon Mosque this evening, organised by Shaykh Suliman Gani (of Tooting Islamic Centre, London) and after the Magrib prayer, they were able to sight the Hilal from the Mosque roof top. This sighting was recorded by a camcorder and Br Tahir (the videographer) was able to extract the Hilal photo at very short notice for this report. Many thanks to Br Tahir for his excellent efforts! Therefore, the Ulama have decided that the month of Jamad al Ula 1429 AH will have 29 days and 1 Jamad-al-Thani 1429 AH will start from Thursday, 5/6/2008, Insha-Allah. I would like to request all UK Muslims to continue making an earnest effort to sight the crescent moon every month, which is a Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)."
     

• USA:
  1. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Javad Torabinejad from (Blacksburg, VA) said: "This evening (Wednesday, June 04, 2008), we sighted the moon at 9:08 in Blacksburg Virginia (local sunset 8:38). It was rather large with its horns on 3:00 and 7:00 O'Clock. We had to wait for the clouds and the moon movement to make the sighting possible."

  2. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Milad Ali Ershaghi from (Waikoloa, HI) said: "Local sunset time was 7:00pm and moonset time was 8:35pm at Outrigger Waikoloa Beach in Waikoloa, Hawaii. Just after sunset, the crescent was not visible, and clouds appeared on the horizon. A group of four of us prayed Salat-ul-Maghrib, overlooking the coast, and shortly after the prayer was finished (7:30:41pm, GMT-10), the new crescent appeared in the sky just above the clouds, with elbows at 3:00 and 8:00."

Thursday 05 June 2008:

1. Indonesia
2. Malaysia
3. Iran
4. Iraq
5. Saudi
6. Kuwait
7. UAE
8. Jordan
9. Egypt
10. Algeria
11. Morocco
12. UK
13. USA

Friday 06 June 2008:

1. Bangladesh
2. Pakistan
3. Senegal
4. South Africa

The geocentric conjunction (Geocentric New Moon) will occur Inshalla on (Tuesday 03 June 2008) at 19:23 UT.

Tuesday 03 June 2008:

• Indonesia: Not Seen: ICOP member, Mr. AR Sugeng Riyadi said: "The Waning (Old) Crescent of Jumadal 'Ula 1429 AH, was NOT SEEN from our location :
  Observed: 2008 June 03
  Location = PPMI Assalaam - Solo Indonesia
  Longitude = 110°46'13.15" E
  Latitude = 7°33'12.77" S
  Elevation = 111 meters
  Time Zone = GMT+7 hours
  Thin clouds be the reason for not seeing the crescent from our location. More about our activity, visit http://blogcasa.wordpress.com/""