International Astronomical Center

The geocentric conjunction (Geocentric New Moon) will occur Inshalla on (Sunday 29 January 2006), at 14:15 UT.

So far, the earliest sighting of the crescent was on Monday 30 January 2006 from Iraq by ICOP member Mr. Bacil Moudhaffar, the crescent was also seen on this day from Saudi, Algeria, Morocco, South Africa Germany and USA.

Sunday 29 January 2006:

• Saudi: ICOP member Mr. Edrees Al Shubbar said: "The sighting group of safwa tried to sight the crescent on the 29th of January 2006 but could not see it although the weather was clear at the western horizon."

• Nigeria: ICOP member Mr. Usman Duhhu said: "We did not try sighting the crescent because of poor visibility caused by dust."

• Spain: ICOP member Mr. Muhammad del Pozo mentioned that it was cloudy.

• USA:

  1. ICOP member Mr. Jim Stamm said: "Too much haze and clouds (which would have been only a few molecules) to attempt an observation of the <7 degree elongation Moon."

  2. ICOP member Mr. Javad Torabinejad said: "Using a pair of 7X50 binoculars, I started scanning the western horizon at 5:45 pm (Sunset, 5:43) till past the moonset (moonset 5:55) with no success."

  3. ICOP member, Mr. Belal Gharaibeh mentioned that he could not see the crescent by naked eye, and it was partly cloudy.

Monday 30 January 2006:

• Australia: ICOP member, Mr. Salah Sukkarieh said: "It was a clear day but at approximately 17:30 clouds began to roll across the western horizon, which thus made it impossible to see. For those interested in details, the clouds covered approximately from the horizon up to 5 degrees. I kept watch using naked eye observation as well as using the magnification (10x) on the theodolite. Despite keeping track of azimuth and elevation using the theodolite I could not see the crescent (just above 5 degrees from the horizon). The "Best Time" was calcualted as 20:24. The observations stopped at 20:15."

• Indonesia: ICOP member, Mr. Mutoha MMC said: "From my location Parangkusumo Beach (110 16 E - 8 01 S) - Yogyakarta, Indonesia, I try again to sight the hilal of Muharram 1427 H. According the hisab (calculation) this day in my location the 'hilal' easy visible by naked eye if the western sky so clear. BTW I coudn't seen the 'hilal' because that was cloudy. We have time to enjoying the 'eksotic sunset' (about 18:04 LT). We travelled to this location (about 35 km from my home) with my son 'Jovian' (8 years) and two members of Jogja Astro Club (JAC) by motorcycles. Although very tired but we satisfied. Next month, Insya Allah we back again and will try again. The civil calendar of Indonesia first day of Muharram 1427 in Tuesday, 31 January 2006. "Happy New Year"."

• Brunei Darussalam: ICOP member, Mr. Hazarry Haji Ali Ahmad said: "New Moon watching was conducted by the Survey Department of Brunei Darussalam at two location, Shahbandar Hill and Agok Hill. The western sky was cloudy and as the sunset, it began to rain. The New moon was not sighted."

• Iraq: ICOP member Mr. Bacil Moudhaffar said: "Waxing Crescent seen on Mon. evening (30/1/2006) from Baghdad between clouds break by naked eye but not as easy as I thought. Horn ends between (2.5 to 7.5) o'clock."

• Saudi: ICOP member Mr. Edrees Al Shubbar said: "The sighting group of safwa tried to sight the crescent on the 29th of January 2006 but could not see it although the weather was clear at the western horizon Today the 30th January 2006 Monday the group tried and succeeded sighting it, although the wind speed was of 10 - 15 knots and brought with it few clouds which make bit difficulty for the group to sight the crescent."

• Algeria: ICOP member Mr. Bankih Kacem said: "The Muharam 1427 crescent was observed from Merkich station. Western horizon was partly cloudy. It was seen firstly with binoculars 10 mn before sunset at 18:05 then covered by clouds and seen secondly at 18:50 easily by naked eye. Three members are present at this observation. Good and happy new year for all Muslim."

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

• Nigeria:

  1. ICOP member Mr. Muhammed Ya'sin Qamardeen said: "The crescent is not visible, perhaps due to dusty sky. However some muslims in Nigeria had mark the begining of new Hijrah year today {Monday 30th, January 2006} after they counted the preceeding month of Dhul Hijjah to be twenty nine days long. This is unconnected with NSCIA unofficial announcment."

  2. ICOP member Mr. Bashir Sani said: "I tried seeing the crescent today Monday, January 30, 2006 at the Main Campus of Ahmadu Bello University, Samaru-Zaria but sighting was impossible due to a thick haze that enveloped the town. The age of the crescent at sunset in Samaru-Zaria is about 28 hours. It is possible other locations in Nigeria may see the crescent. Happy and prosperous new year to all. Wasssaalam."

  3. ICOP member Mr. Usman Duhhu said: "We did not try sighting the crescent, here in Bauchi, due to poor visibility caused by dust."

• Zanzibar: ICOP member Mr. Hamza Rijal said: "I was at the common sighting locality with my 3 children, to my surprise, my daughter of 8 years old she was the first to observed the Hilal. Immediately after the Sunset around 18:55 local time (15:55 GMT) we were successfully sight a very thin Crescent. Mufty and Qadhi Office here in Zanzibar a tiny island along the east coast of Africa, made an officially announcement today 31st January 2006 as beginning of Islamic New Year i.e. 1st Muharram 1427."

• South Africa: ICOP member Dr. Abdurrazak Ebrahim said: "The 1427 AH Muharrum Hilaal was clearly visible to the naked-eye this Monday evening, 30 January 2006 [corresponding to the end of the 29 Dhul Hijjah 1426 AH]. The field of vision was clear. The sun set behind a band of cloud about 0.5 degrees above the eye-level horizon. My viewing locality was at Green Point, Cape Town at 0 meters above sea level. The young waxing crescent was first seen through binoculars [10x50] at 17h59 local time, which was 6 minutes after sunset. The Hilaal was first observed by naked-eye at 20h08 local time with cusps at 5 and 11. The altitude at first sighting was Topo - 7.63; elongation 16.07; width 39 as; percentage illumination 01.96; and age 26 hrs 50 min. The official 1 Muharrum 1427 AH in Southern Africa will correspond with Tuesday, 31 January 2006. A Blessed New Year to mankind."

• Germany: ICOP member Mr. Gerhard Ahmad Kaufmann said: "The crescent was sighted by my 7-year old son and me in cold, clear air with only a little haze over the western horizon. First sighting was by binoculars 13 minutes after sunset, visual sighting followed five minutes later. The moon's light was finally extinct by the haze 10 minutes before moonset."

• Spain: ICOP member Mr. Muhammad del Pozo mentioned that it was cloudy.

• UK:

  1. ICOP member Mr. AbdurRashid Ayoubi said: "Although we has about 75 minutes after sunset we could not see the moon as it was thickly clouded all over the horizon, not just in the western hemisphere."

  2. ICOP member Mr. Muhammad Afifi al-Akiti said: " Happy new year and may Allah reward you for your kind efforts! Negative sighting. At the end of the 29th day of of the preceeding lunar month (Monday, 30th January) at the usual moonsighting site in Oxford, I could not sight the new crescent because the horizon was overcast [ghaym]. The new moon is expected to be visible today, however, as the minimum conditions for sighting visibility [shurut imkan al-ru'ya] are met, and the difference in setting times of the sun and moon over the local horizon [qaws al-makth] is 75 minutes. By the time of Isha', we received news of positive sightings from South East Asia and Morocco on Monday (sighting was attempted on Sunday but with negative results amidst clear skies), and the authorities in those countries have declared that the next day is the New Year of 1427. This news is sufficient for us to establish the new month [thubut al-hilal] of Muharram in the UK, so that tomorrow, Tuesday, the last day of January, is the first day of Muharram; and not the 30th of Dhu l-Hijja, by default, following the principal rule in Fiqh for this case: whenever the crescent is sighted during the night in question anywhere in the East, its sighting follows without doubt in the West, but not the other way round. Therefore, the 10th of Muharram in the UK should fall on Thursday, the 9th of February. Awwal Muharram ma'a l-hijrah, al-HamduliLlah!"

• USA:

  1. ICOP member Mr. Javad Torabinejad said: "Due to cloudy sky, moonsighting was not attempted"

  2. ICOP member, Mr. Belal Gharaibeh said: "Observation started at 18:09. the crescent was behind the clouds then at 18:35 it appeared till it fadded down behind the clouds again at 18:58."

  3. ICOP Member, Mr. Hadi Jaafar mnetioned that the crescent was seen by naked eye.

  4. ICOP Member, Mr. Qaiser Imam said: "The New Year Mubarak to all of you. As you know that we have formed the Hilaal Committee of Greater Austin (HCGA) and part of my responsibility is to report to you about moon-sighting every month. Four of my family members including myself saw the crescent for the month of Muharram on January 30, 2006 at 6:13 pm. At 6:17 pm Dr. Naeem Silat of Austin called me to confirm that he has also seen the crescent. May Allah bring the blessing of this New Year to the entire Muslim Ummah."

  5. ICOP member, Mr. Gulamabbas Khakoo said: "Sighted the crescent for the month of Muharram on January 30th, 2006 local time 5:20pm here in Buena Park, California with a naked eye. The crescent sighting was on left side of sunset and very clear. The top of horn of crescent was between 12 & 1 and the bottom was between 7 & 8 (closer to 8)."

  6. ICOP member, Mr. Masood Khan mentioned that he saw the crescent by naked eye.

• Guyana: ICOP member Dr. Muhammad Hafiz said: "Myself and the members of Rose Hall Town Masjids and Islamic Center tried to observe the Hilaal after sunset on Monday 30th January, 2006. Due to continuous rainy season in Guyana / clouds on the Horizon, Hilaal sighting was made impossible. First day of Muharram 1427 AH in Guyana Tuesday, 31st January, 2006."

Monday 30 January 2006 :

Tuesday 31 January 2006 :

1. Australia
2. Indonesia
3. Brunei Darussalam
4. Saudi
5. UAE
6. Qatar
7. Jordan
8. Egypt
9. Morocco
10. Zanzibar
11. South Africa
12. Spain
13. UK
14. USA
15. Guyana

The geocentric conjunction (Geocentric New Moon) will occur Inshalla on (Sunday 29 January 2006), at 14:15 UT.

Saturday 28 January 2006:

• USA: ICOP member Mr. Jim Stamm said:

  "Old Moon Crescent Observation Report
  ====================================
  January 2006
  
  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 sighting at
  Tucson International Airport (805 m):
     Temperature          =    2 degrees Celcius
     Relative Humidity    =   49 percent
     Atmospheric Pressure = 1024 mb (sea level)
  
     Magnitude limit at 9 degrees altitutde with 55 power
     in C-8 telescope, before onset of twilight   =  10.5
  
  Topocentric and local time values from “Accurate Times”:
     Moonrise (at sea level)  =  06:49
     Sunrise (at sea level)   =  07:15
     Time from new moon at   07:54   = -22 hr. 10 min.
     Moon lag time                   =  27     minutes
     Relative Altitude               =   3.4   degrees
     Elongation from sun             =  14.3   degrees
     Crescent width                  =  31     arcseconds
     Illumination                    =   1.55  percent
  
  
  Crescent first observed through 8” SC telescope:
     Time      =   07:52:30
     Altitude  =   9 degrees
  
  Final observation with telescope:
     Time      =   07:54:30
     Altitude  =   9 degrees
  
  This was the most tenuous image that I have ever acquired.  I was  
  positive of the FOV and the focus (thanks to Antares and Nunki), 
  but  I couldn’t see anything at first.  After about 15 seconds I 
  suspected  an image, and then after adjusting the focus, it improved.  
  The  crescent seemed to grow from about 10 degrees to 30 degrees, and 
  then  shrink again. After two minutes, it became more difficult to see,  
  and I lost it while trying to improve the focus."