International Astronomical Center

So far, the earliest sighting of the crescent -after sunset- was on Sunday 24 May 2009 from USA by ICOP member Mr. Jim Stamm.

Sunday 24 May 2009:

• Nigeria: Not Seen/Cloudy: ICOP member Mr. Simwal Jibril said: "I was accompanied by group members Mustafa Nadama and Ibrahim Maigari, but it started raining immediately after sunset so it was impossible to see the crescent."

• USA:
  1. Not Seen/Cloudy: ICOP member Mr. Javad Torabinejad from (Blacksburg, Virginia) said: "Due to the cloudy sky in Blacksburg, VA, on Sunday (May 24th, 2009), no sighting was attempted."

  2. Not Seen/Partly Cloudy: ICOP member Dr. John Caldwell (McDonald Obs, Texas) : "Gap layer of few degrees near horizon, but generally poor conditions" Dr. Caldwell mentioned that he was not able to see the crescent by 10X80 binocular.

  3. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Jim Stamm (Tucson, Arizona) said:

     Location = Tucson, Arizona (USA)
     Longitude = 110.9645 W
     Latitude = 32.4204 N
     Elevation = 842 meters
     Time Zone = -7.0 hours

     Surface conditions at time of first/last sighting at
     Tucson International Airport (805 m):
     Temperature = 84 degrees F
     Relative Humidity = 13 percent
     Sea Level Pressure = 1007 mb
     Scattered clouds, but not a problem.

     Topocentric and local time values from “Accurate Times”:
     Sunset (at sea level) = 19:27
     Moonset (at sea level) = 20:13
     Time from new moon at 19:47 = 15 hr. 36 min.
     Moon lag time = 46 min.
     Relative Altitude = 8.27 degrees
     Elongation from sun = 8.28 degrees
     Crescent width = 10 arc seconds
     Illumination = 0.52 percent

     Crescent first observed through 8” SC telescope:
     Time = 19:29
     Altitude = 5.9 degrees

     Final observation with telescope:
     Time = 19:45
     Altitude = 3.0 degrees

     This was a difficult observation. The crescent never got as distinct as my record time observation. Initial view (19:29) was about 10 degrees in arc length. 15° at 19:31; Hints of extensions at 19:34; 40°-50° at 19.36; I could not see the entire arc at once. I had to scan with my eye. However, the entire arc was illuminated, some sections brighter than others. 60° at 19:40; 70° at 19:42; 80° at 19:43; 90° at last observation (19:45). The brightest part of the illuminated arc was not visible until about halfway into the observation. I did not realize the significance of this phenomenon at the time, and did not time its appearance. I do not know if the "bright" section of the arc (a few degrees at most) was due to albedo, or an illusion due to surface features - i.e. a wider part of the arc."

Monday 25 May 2009:

• Indonesia: Not Seen/Cloudy: ICOP member, Mr. AR Sugeng Riyadi said: "The New Crescent of Jumadal Tsaniyah 1430 AH = (NOT SEEN)"

• Philippines: Not Seen/Cloudy: ICOP member Mr. Abu Ammar Mama Mangorangca said: "My observation site is Marawi City where it is raining. A friend, Engr Musib Kamensa, reports from Cotabato City, 250 kilometers to my south. Another friend, Abu Sohaili Laguindab, is based in Surigao City, about 400 kilometers to my northeast. I coordinated the three observations. The cloudiness and rain shower throughout the region of northern and central Mindanao, Philippines, caused us to miss the hilal this evening."

• India:
  1. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Mohammad Amin Haroon said: "There were thin Clouds and Partially the sky was cloudy. Sun set was 6:51 and only after 7:30 the Crescent came down from Clouds to a small gap and clearly everybody seen the Crescent for about 7/8 minutes before it went to the lower clouds."

  2. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Mohammed Mohsin Khan said: "Monday 25 May 2009 / 29 Jamadil Oola 1430 in India. Here in Mumbai Sunset was at 07:10 p.m IST and Moonset was at 08:19 pm IST. so there was 1 hr 9 mins difference, Sky was clear and Crescent has been sighted in Mumbai and in Most Parts of India. Official Moon-Sighting Committee of Mumbai have officially announced that Monday 25 May 2009 was 29th Jamadil Oola and 1st Jamadil Aakhar 1430 will fall on Tuesday 26 May 2009."

• Pakistan: Seen: ICOP member Mr. Muhammad Sultan Alam said: "Not seen by us / easily seen by others Today i.e. on Monday 25 May 2009 (29 Jumadal-oola 1430) on my request many hundred members and friends of our institute “Jamia-tur-Rasheed” tried to sight the moon all over Pakistan. As it was full cloudy in Karachi hence I and my other friends could not sight the moon in Karachi but our many hundred other members and friends easily sighted the moon all over Pakistan. Note 1: Chairman of central official moon-sighting committee of Pakistan "Mufti Munee-bur-Rahman" told me on my mobile phone that after receiving the positive reports of moon sighting, he officially announced that Tuesday 26 May 2009 is the 1st Jumadath-Thaniah. Note 2: After some days, inshaallah, a detailed report of this observation in Urdu will be available at www.esnips.com/web/moonnewsofjamiaturrasheed"

• Iran:
  1. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Alireza Mehrani said:

     Location: Esfahan , Iran
     Latitude: 32° 37' N
     Longitude: 51° 35' E
     Elevation: 1627 meters from sea level
     Time zone: +4.5

     Observer & photographer: Alireza Mehrani
     Optical tools: Digital camera (Sony DSC H9)

     Date: Saturday May 25, 2009 (Khordad 4, 1388)
     Temperature: 31 C°
     Barometer: 838.5 mb
     Wind: 21.6 km/h
     Humidity: 13%
     Visibility: 10 km

     Topocentric and local time values from "Moon Calculator" (Refrac off):
     Time: 20:37 LT (16:07 UT)
     Moon Alt: 7° 30' 29"
     Sun Alt: - (7° 18' 38")
     Elongation: 15° 33' 34"
     Rel Azi: - (4° 45' 27")
     Moon Width: 0.61'
     Moon Phase: 2.07%
     Moon Age: 27h 56m after conjunction

     

  2. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Hossein Janghorbani said:
     From: The Astronomy and Geophysics Centre Of Shahreza & Women Astronomy and Geography Society of Isfahan Province
     Reporter: Hossein Janghorbani, manager of the center

     We saw the new moon crescent on Monday May. 25th .2009(04/3/1388 according to Iran calendar), in a region located in the east of Shahreza with these geographic coordinates:
     Lat: 32° N
     Lon: 51° 52' E
     Ele: 1825 m
     Time Zone: +3.5

     The first observation of crescent parameters:
     By: Ali Janghorbani
     Through: 15x70 binocular
     Time: 20:01 LT
     Moon Alt: 13.661
     Elongation: 15.228
     Moon Phase: 1.99%
     Moon width: 0.58m
     Rel Azi: -3.555
     Moon Age: 27h 21m

     The first observation of crescent parameters:
     By: Ali Janghorbani & Meysam Safian
     Through: eye
     Time: 20:10 LT
     Moon Alt 11.982
     Elongation: 15.310
     Moon Phase: 2.01%
     Moon width: 0.59m
     Rel Azi: -3.812
     Moon Age: 27h 30m

     The group was divided two and all of them observed the crescent
     The group members:
     1. Davood Javeri
     2. Mohammad Javad Nikeghbal
     3. Meysam Safian
     4. Reza Janghorbani
     5. Ali Janghorbani
     6. Hossein Janghorbani
     7. Zhila Taghavi
     8. Arezoo Tabibian
     9. Zahra Fallah

     

• Saudi:
  1. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Saleh Al-Saab said: "The western horizon was cloudy, the sun disappeared 18:30 (10 minutes before the normal time), I saw the crescent at 19:10 by binocular for 15 minutes."

  2. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Bander Albotehy said: "There was a difficulty to see the crescent by naked eyes immediately after that sunset and it took about 10 minutes to see it. However, I could see it immediately after sunset by binocular."
     

• Bahrain: Seen: ICOP member Mr. A.Hameed Ali Haji mentioned that the crescent was seen by naked eye.

• Kuwait: Seen: ICOP member Mr. Hussain Khushaish said: "IN KUwait at Kabad desret 40 km south west of Kuwait city on Monday 25 May 2009 I was able to see the crescent with another 2 friends with naked eyes. The events went as follows:
  local sunset 18:41
  first seen with 8'' telescope 19:02 (21 minutes after sunset)
  first seeb with 20*60 bino 19:08 (27 minutes after sunset)
  first seen with naked eyes 19:10 (29 minutes after sunse)
  last seen with naked eyes 19:17 ( only for 7 minutes)
  last seen with 20*60 bino 19:25 ( 35 minutes before moonset)
  last seen with 8" telescope 19:32 ( 30 minutes before moonset)
  local moonset 20:02
  T moon age 25H 56M G. moon age 27H 30M
  T Elong 15.3 deg
  Moon Alt 13.9 deg
  lag time 81 minutes "

• Lebanon: Seen: ICOP member Dr. Ahmad Raad mentioned that the crescent was seen by naked eye.

• Algeria:
  1. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Bankih Kacem said: "The Jumada 2 1430 crescent was seen easily, at 19:46 from Bouamiyed (Benisguen, Algeria). First with binoculars (20x60), then at 19:55 naked eye. Five people were present on site."

  2. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Houcine Chikh Aissa said: "Three (03) persons were present in Ammi said institut and have tried to observe the Jumada II 1430 crescent. The crescent was seen. They have used one binocular:50x7."

• Morocco: Not Seen/Cloudy: ICOP member Mr. Othman Fadli mentioned that the crescent was not seen and the sky was totally cloudy.

• Senegal: Seen: ICOP member Mr. Ibrahima Thierno Lo said: "I have seen the crescent by naked eyes in Louga, 200km from Dakar. It was very clear."

• Tanzania:
  1. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Fuad Bafana said: "Seen By Naked Eyes Over Mbezi Beach Jogoo Area With My Friend Abubakar Paazi ! Clearly Seen !"

  2. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Zaffar Sheriff said: "Crescent was visible just 10 minutes after sunset."

  3. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Hamza Rijal said: "On May 25, in tiny island of Zanzibar-Tanzania it was 29 of Jamadul Awal and we have managed to observed the Hilal and being justified by the Mufti Office and today Tuesday May 26, 2009 is first of Jamadul Thani."

• Nigeria:
  1. Not Seen/Cloudy: ICOP member Mr. Simwal Jibril mentioned that it was totally cloudy.

  2. Not Seen/Cloudy: ICOP member Mr. Muhammed Ya'sin Qamardeen said: "It was totally cloudy here at Isolo are of Lagos metropolitan, however at moment of filling this information I have not received news from other observation location."

  3. Not Seen/Cloudy: ICOP member Mr. AbdulRasaq Ishola Ikorodu said: "I and Imam Monsuru Mojolagbe led the Team of :-
     1. Imam Adelakun Daud
     2. Mukadam Abdul-Azeez
     3. Adnan Abdul-Rasaq (9yrs)
     to the site of the searching fortunately Chief Imam Of Ikorodu (Alh Seifu deen Olowo Oribi ) and his entourage was unable to Meet us at the site due to the logjam of that day. At the same time we called our colleques in Bauchi State they said the sky is cloudy, and we called the Sultonu Spokesman ( Professor Gwandu) 7:28 p.m. he too said the sky in Sokoto state is cloudy. Anyway we will try searching today too. Happy Jumada thanni Today 26-05-09."
     

  4. Not Seen/Cloudy: ICOP member Mr. Usman Dukku said: "It was cloudy in Bauchi and Abuja."

• South Africa: Seen: ICOP member Dr. Abdurrazak Ebrahim mentioned that the crescent was seen by naked eye.

• Hungary: Seen: ICOP member Mr. Mustafa Al-Majari mentioned that the crescent was seen by naked eye.

• Germany:
  1. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Martin Elsaesser said: "Because of haze and threatening clouds on the western horizon we struggled to find the crescent through a telescope some 30 minutes BEFORE sunset. The first naked-eye sighting happened some 30 minutes AFTER sunset. The crescent vanished in the clouds about 60 AFTER sunset. Several observers were present at our public observatory and enjoyed the view (and some Saturn and ISS later in the evening). I have added two pictures, taken through a 90mm Telescope around 21:40 (UT+2), which show the crescent with some local structures."
     

  2. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Gerhard Ahmad Kaufmann said: "At the time of sunset, the sky was still hazy and partly cloudy after a hot and sticky day. But an hour later, the air had cleared up and the crescent became nicely visible."

  3. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Samy Khadem-Al-Charieh said: "The crescent was surely visible for a longer time, but unfortunately I had no time for a longer observation."

  4. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Kadir Yucel said: "My wife and myself were lucky to see the crescent because the western horizon was cloudy at this evening. But later the horizon got clear."
     

• UK:

  1. Cloudy: ICOP member Mr. Muhammad Dar said (Bolton, Lancashire) said: "Sky was totally covered with thick clouds."

  2. Cloudy: ICOP Member Shaykh Sulayman Gani from Tooting Islamic Centre (London) said: "We (about 10 of us) tried observing the hilal with the naked eye from London eye on the 25 of May but due to cloudiness and drizzle it could not be seen. Islam Channel including the CEO, Mohammed Ali as well as secretary general of West london Forum, Rashid Bhatti who kindly funded the hiring of the capsule as well as TV presenter, brother Ajmal Masroor participated on this first ever attempt to to sight the hilal with the naked eye from the London Eye."

  3. Cloudy: ICOP member Mr. Qamar Uddin said: "We had pre-arranged a Hilal Observation session a few weeks ago from London Eye (with a Islam Channel TV filming crew) as well as from York Astronomical Society Observatory for Monday 25 May 2009. Unfortunately, most of the country was cloudy so we were unable to sight the 32 hours old Hilal. However, we have received positive sighting reports from abroad (including Morocco and South Africa). Many people (from Wifaqul Ulama) also attempted sighting the Hilal yesterday (24 May 2009), but were unable to do so. Therefore, the month of Jumada Al Thani in UK will start from Tuesday 26 May 2009, Insha-Allah.

     London Eye Team included:
     Mohamed Ali (CEO, Islam Channel TV)
     Talat Sultan (Producer, Islam Channel TV)
     Two Camera Men (Islam Channel TV)
     Ajmal Masroor (London)
     Shaykh Sulayman Gani (London)
     A Rashid Bhatti (Slough)
     Imam Inayat Ullah (London)
     Aziz Ahmad (Harrow)
     Hafiz Ahmad Mismillah (Southall)
     Abdul Sattar Shahid (Southall)
     
     York Astronomical Society Team included:
     Qamar Uddin (York AS)
     Hatim Salih (York AS)
     Maulana Hasib (Batley)
     Maulana Imran Lunat (Bately)
     Vashiullah (Bately)
     Martin Dawson (York AS)
     Glen Berry (York AS)
     Barry Beckwith (York AS)"
     

     
     

• Sweden: Seen: ICOP member Mr. Muhammad Shafiur Rahman Chowdury said: "Alhamdulillah,...we the members of Anjumane Al Baiyinaat, Sweden (1. Muhammad shafiur Rahman Chowdury, 2. Saiyid Muhammad Nasiruddin Ahmad Shohel, and 3. Muhammad Fakhrul Islam) have seen the crescent moon of the new coming arabic month Mahe Jumada-al-Thani 1430 Hizri this evening 25th May 2009 Monday from Stockholm by bare eyes very clearly. The Anjumane Al Baiyinaat, Sweden have announced that the 1st day of the new Arabic month " Mahe Jumada-al-Thani 1430 Hizri" will be started from 26th May 2009 Tuesday after completing the "Mahe Jamadi-Al-Awwal 1430 Hizri" by counting 29 days in 25th May 2009 Monday.

  Details report are given in bellow -
  Moon Sighting Report From Sweden
  Month: Mahe Jumada-al-Thani 1430 Hizri
  Sighting of the Crescent Moon: Very clearly seen by bare eyes
  Place of Sighting: Varby Gard Hill, Stockholm, Sweden (Near subway station)
  Time of Sighting: After Magrib Prayer (21:55-22:50)
  Time of first sighting by Muhammad Fakhrul Islam: 22:40
  Date: 25th May 2009 Monday.
  Condition of the sky: Very Clear and shinning

  Persons:
  1. Muhammad shafiur Rahman Chowdury,
  2. Saiyid Muhammad Nasiruddin Ahmad Shohel,
  3. Muhammad Fakhrul Islam,"

• Trinidad and Tobago: Seen: ICOP member Mr. Kahiam Hosein mentioned that the crescent was seen by naked eye.

Monday 25 May 2009:

1. Saudi
2. Kuwait
3. Bahrain
4. Qatar
5. UAE
6. Egypt

Tuesday 26 May 2009:

1. Indonesia
2. India
3. Pakistan
4. Oman
5. Jordan
6. Algeria
7. Morocco
8. Senegal
9. Tanzania
10. South Africa
11. Sweden
12. Trinidad and Tobago

The geocentric conjunction (Geocentric New Moon) will occur Inshalla on (Sunday 24 May 2009) at 12:11 UT.

Sunday 24 May 2009:

Saturday 23 May 2009:

• Indonesia: Seen: ICOP member, Mr. AR Sugeng Riyadi said: "The Old Crescent of Jumadal 'Ula 1430 AH was SEEN: Location: Bendo Ketitang Juwiring Klaten Indonesia. Lattitude: 7° 41' 39.17" S. Longitude: 110° 44' 20.64" E. Time Zone: GMT+7. Elevation: 98 m. Moonrise: 04:08 LT. Sunrise: 05:41 LT. Moon alt @ Sunrise: 19° 34'. Observer: AR Sugeng Riyadi and All members of CASA (Club Astronomi Santri Assalaam) - Surakarta.
  

• Iran: Seen: ICOP member Mr. Alireza Mehrani said:

  Location: Esfahan, Iran
  Latitude: 32° 37' N
  Longitude: 51° 35' E
  Elevation: 1627 meters from sea level
  Time zone: +4.5

  Observer & photographer: Alireza Mehrani
  Optical tools: Digital camera (Sony DSC H9)

  Date: Saturday May 23, 2009 (Khordad 2, 1388)
  Temperature: 19.2 C°
  Barometer: 846.9 mb
  Wind: Calm
  Humidity: 35%
  Visibility: 10 km

  Topocentric and local time values from "Moon Calculator" (Refrac off):
  Time: 05:38 LT (01:08 UT)
  Moon Alt: 10° 50' 12"
  Sun Alt: - (5° 03' 04")
  Elongation: 19° 45' 11"
  Rel Azi: 11° 47' 24"
  Moon Width: 0.96'
  Moon Phase: 3.20%
  Moon Age: 35h 03m before conjunction

  

• Algeria: Seen: ICOP member Mr. Bankih Kacem said: "Location: Benisguen, Algeria. Latitude: 32° 27' N. Longitude: 03° 41' E. Elevation: 500 meters from sea level. Time zone: UT+1. Optical tools: Digital camera (Sony DSC W70). The Crescent was seen by naked eye."

• Germany: Seen: ICOP member Mr. Martin Elsaesser said: "The -30h waning crescent could be easily seen without optical aid under good conditions from a local view-point. A beautiful sight in binoculars, too. Three images of a series were combined to show the movement during the first few minutes of visibility."
  

• Tanzania: Seen: ICOP member Mr. Fuad Bafana said: "Seen By Naked eyes Over Mbezi Beach With My Son Fahmi!"