International Astronomical Center

So far, the earliest sighting of the crescent was on Friday 03 January from Algeria by ICOP member Mr. Bankih Bankacem and from South Africa by Crescent Observer's Society and ICOP member, Mr. Hashim Salie.

Friday 03 January 2003

• Singapore: ICOP member, Mr. Ibrahim Muhammad Ridhwan said: "I really wanted to view the Hilal with my own Binocular. But around 5:00 pm, the western part was full with clouds and its dark too. But Following the Singapore Islamic Calendar, tomorrow, 4 January 2003, Saturday will be the 1st Zulkaedah 1423 Hijrah. OK thats all from the KAIDUS and Wassalam to all Muslims and non-Muslims around the world."

• Iran:
  1. ICOP member, Mr. AliReza Mehrani said: "Due to the cloudy weather our program to observe the crescent was failed."

  2. ICOP member, Mr. Mousa Zamani mentioned that the sky was partly cloudy.

• Kuwait: ICOP member, Mr. Hussain Khushaish said: "On Friday 3 January 2003 a group of 10 persons tried to sight the crescent . I could not see the crescent even with binocular because it was cloudy and hazy at the westren sky. Yet three persons claimed seeing the crescent through the black area of haze and cloud with naked eyes !!!!"

• Saudi:
  1. ICOP member, Mr. Saleh Al-Saab said: "Unfortunately, the weather was not good enough to see the crescent. On the other hand, happy new year and all good wishes to you all and your families."

  2. ICOP member, Mr. Anwar Al Muhammad said: " Yesterday, Friday 3 January 2003, we spent more than one hour to sight the new crescent of Tho Al-Qeada, at in the eastern area of Saudi Arabia “Al-Aujam- 26:33N, 49:47E”, but unfortunately we could not. It stayed 31 minutes after sun set. Although we used a computerized 10” LX-200, and we aligned it at the night before and we tested it with some stars, we could not see it even with this optical aid. The western horizon was partially cloudy but with thin clouds. Also, there were some gapes between them along the path of the crescent. By default, some people in the nearby place claimed that they saw the crescent by naked eye. However today, Saturday 4 January, I saw the crescent while I am driving my car. It was so clear because it remained 1:32 after sun set in my place."

• Jordan: ICOP member, Mohammad Odeh said: "The sky was cloudy and rainy from Northern Jordan to its South!"

• Syria: ICOP member, Prof. Hasan Bilani mentioned that the sky was cloudy."

• Algeria: ICOP member, Mr. Bankih Bankacem said: "The new crescent of Thul Kea'dah was seen by 03 members of our club AMNIR with binoculars when it was setting on the wastern horizon. This observation of this new crescent (age=20h59m) is a record for our club."

• Morocco: Dr. Abdelkhalek Cheddadi said: "The Moroccan Awqaf Ministry declared in a statement that the new crescent has been observed on Friday evening, 29th of Shawwal. So 1st of Dhu al-Qi'dah in Morocco is Saturday, January 4th, 2003. wassalam."

• Nigeria: ICOP member, Mr. Usman Dukku said: "Nine of us attempted sighting the crescent but we did not see it.It was cloudy here in Bauchi."

• South Africa:
  1. ICOP member, Mr. Abdurrazak Ebrahim Snr said: "The Hilaal for the beginning of Dhul Qada 1423 was sighted by members of the Crescent observer's Society from Signal Hill and Three Anchor Bay, Cape Town. The Hilaal was first sighted at 20h20 local time at an altitude of approximately 6.5 degrees and at approximately 18 degrees south. It was a very thin crescent with the horns tapering at 4 o'clock and 10 o'clock. In southern Africa, the official 1st day of Dhul Qada 1423 will correspond to Saturday, 04 January 2003."

  2. ICOP member, Mr. Hashim Salie said: "Beautiful thin Hilaal for Thul Qa'dah was sighted in Cape Town."

• Germany: ICOP member, Mr. Gerhard Ahmad Kaufmann said: "No

• USA:
  1. ICOP member, Mr. Jim Stamm said:

     New Moon Crescent Observability
     ===============================
     January 2003
     
     Time from new at moonrise/sunset = 28 hours 08 minutes
     
     
     Location  = Tucson, Arizona (USA)
     Longitude = 110.9645 W
     Latitude  =  32.4204 N
     Elevation = 842 meters
     
     Temperature          =  71 degrees Fahrenheit
     Relative Humidity    =  20 percent
     Atmospheric Pressure =  30.03 inches of mercury
     
     Local sunset at   5:31 p.m. (MST)  03 Jan. 2003
     UT Time and Date of sunset = 00:31 04 Jan. 2003
     
     Crescent first observed with the naked eye:
     Time     =    5:47 p.m. (MST)   00:47 (UT)
     Altitude =    6 degrees
     Azimuth  =  235 degrees
     Elongation of the Moon from Sun =   15 degrees
     Percent of surface that was lit =  1.8 percent
     
     Final observation with naked eye:
     Time     =    6:25 p.m. (MST)   01:25 (UT)
     Altitude =    0.5 degree
     Azimuth  =    240 degrees
     
     Local moonset at   6:30 p.m. (MST)  03 Jan. 2003
     UT Time and Date of moonset = 01:30 04 Jan. 2003
     
     The crescent was immediately visible when I first searched at 05:47 p.m. 
     (local - MST).
     

  2. ICOP member, Mr. Gulamabbas Khakoo said: "This evening of Jan 03rd 2003 sighted the crescent for the month of Thul Kea'dah here in Buena Park, California. Local time 5:35 p.m. The top horn of the crescent was just after 12 and bottom was between 7 & 8. The crescent was thin and I used binoculars to sight. The sky was partially cloudy."

  3. ICOP member, Dr. Muhammad Hafiz said: "New Crescent observation in Opa Locka, Florida, USA on Friday, 3rd January, 2003 was impossible due to extensive rainy clouds on the horizon."

• Trinidad and Tobago: Mr. Abdurrahman Ali mentioned that he could see the crescent by naked eyes.

Saturday 04 January 2003

• Nigeria: ICOP member, Mr. Aminu Lukuman said: "The crescent was seen by naked eye on Saturday [04/01/2003] here in Lagos, Nigeria."

• Germany: ICOP member, Mr. Gerhard Ahmad Kaufmann mentioned that the sky was cloudy.

Friday 03 January 2003:-

1. Syria

Saturday 04 January 2003:-

1. Singapore
2. Kuwait
3. Saudi
4. Jordan
5. Morocco
6. South Africa
7. USA
8. Guyana

Sunday 05 January 2003:-

1. Iran