International Astronomical Center

So far, the earliest sighting of the crescent was on Wednesday 09 January 2008 from Australia by ICOP member Mr. Afroz Ali, the crescent was also seen on this day from Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Iran, UAE, Kuwait, Algeria, Morocco, Senegal, Kenya and USA.

Wednesday 09 January 2008:

• Australia: Seen: ICOP member Mr. Afroz Ali said: "Whilst it was cloudy in many parts of Australia, the crescent was sighted in Perth on Wednesday 9th January. The official 1st of Muharram commences on Thursday 10th January for Australia." Mr. Afroz mentioned that he was able to see the crescent by naked eye.

• Indonesia:
  1. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Mutoha Arkanuddin said: "From Parangkusumo Beach near Yogyakarta, Indonesia me and Jogja Astro Club member Br. Gustria tried to see the crescent for Muharram 1429 AH. Alhamdulillah, we can saw the Muharram crescent this day!. It's the first time for me had to saw the crescent under 24 hours moon age. But it's only seen with my 7x50 binoc fixed on tripod and other 7x35 binoc handheld. The crescent not seen by naked eye when I tried. It's the lucky crescent because it was very thin and beside the big clouds. It was seen about 1 minute at 18:27 LT and moon altitude approximately 4° above horizon. According to my brunton compass it's an azimuth 249° magnetic. Indonesia declare that the first day of Muharram 1429 AH begins on Thursday, 10 January 2008. Happy Islamic New Year for all Moslems. More: http://rukyatulhilal.org."
     

  2. Not Seen: ICOP member, Mr. AR Sugeng Riyadi said: "The Waxing (New) Crescent of Muharram 1429 H was NOT SEEN on my location: Bendo Ketitang Juwiring Klaten, Central Java (Lat:7 41 39.17 S, Long: 110 44 20.64 E, elev: 98 m, Zona: GMT+7). Thick cloud causess the crescent could NOT SEEN in my location, since sunset (18:00 LT) until moonset (18:46 LT)."

• Malaysia: Seen: ICOP member Mr. Mohd Zambri Zainuddin said: "I am reporting that we had sighted the crescent on the 9/1/08 at 7.27 pm Malaysia local time."
  

• Bangladesh: Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Azizul Huq said: "As there is no moonsighting report all over the country Govt. observed 30th Zilhajj on 10th January." Mr. Huq mentioned that he was not able to see the crescent by binoculars and the sky was hazy.

• Pakistan:
  1. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Shahid Qureshi said: "The crescent was very thin remained visible for around half a minute and only quarter of circle long". Mr. Qureshi mentioned that he was able to see the crescent by binoculars only.

  2. Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Muhammad Sultan Alam said: "We were 7 persons. All were scholars and students of our institute. We tried our best to sight the moon by naked eyes on Wednesday 9 January 2008 from the 4th floor of our institute situated in Nazimabad 4, Karachi, Pakistan at the exact place of crescent according to the moon data from 17:30 to moonset i.e. 18:50 but we could not see. There was about 5 degree pollution on the western horizon, generally all sky was clear. Some other scholars of our institute ("JAMIATUR-RASHEED'' situated in Ahsanabad, Karachi, Pakistan) tried to see the moon according to the moon data but they also did not see. Many members of personal moonsighting committees of our institute "JAMIATUR-RASHEED'' reported from Battal and Abbotabad etc. that it was very much cloudy there from many days, therefore they could not see the moon. Chairman of central governmental moonsighting committee of Pakistan told me on my personal mobile number at 19:30 that because he did not receive the reports of moon sighting from all over the Pakistan, therefore he has officially announced that 1st Muharram 1429 will be on Friday 11 January 2008 in Pakistan after completing the 30 days of Zil-Hajjah 1428."

• Iran:
  1. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Mohammad Zahed Aram mentioned that he was able to see the crescent by naked eyes. Mr. Zahed added:-
     • Location: Kalporakan, 25km SE. Saravan, Iran (62:32:29E, 27:13:48 N, +3.5, 1130m)
     • Apparent sunset ~ 16:42, calculated sunset: 16:43 (accurate times)
     • Instrument: Binoculars 16*50, digital camera panasonic lumix dmc-lz2, 5M.P,6X optical zoom
     • West horizon: Some cloud pieces, after 3 rainy days, temprature ~5 C, no wind
     • Observers : Mr. Mohammad Zahed Aram, Mr. Abdrazzagh Dehvari
     • First sight with binoculars 17:03, with naked eye :17:08 (both by Aram)
     • Last sight with binoculars 17:29, with naked eye 17:27
     • Moonset : 17:34
     

  2. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Kambiz Khaleghi said: "Other instrument Binoculars: 25*100, digital camera(coolpix 8400). West horizon waz totally cloudy during observation but just for 6 or 7 minutes I could find the hole between clouds and I see the moon just for 2-3 minutes with binoculars but after that the horizon made competely cloudy."

• UAE: Seen: ICOP member Mr. Mohammad Odeh said: "I observed the crescent with my friends; Mohammad Saleh and Amin Kiswani, all of us were able to see the crescent by naked eyes with minor difficulty. We were observing from the sea shore and the sky was clear."

• Saudi: Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Saleh Al-Saab said: "The crescent was more than (9) degrees above horizon, but not seen because of the heavy clouds on the west."

• Kuwait: Seen: ICOP member Mr. Hussain Khushaish said: "In Kuwait at Kabad desert On Wednesday 9 Jan 2008 I and a group of 12 persons could sight the crescent only with 8" telescope and 20*60 binocular in the following order: sun disc disappeared at 17:05,sunset at 17:09,first seen with 8" telescope aligned with gps previous night 17:15,first seen with binocular at 17:28,last seen with binocular & telescope at 17:40,moon set at 17:04. So I did not see the crescent the last 24 minutes of its lag. Mars was seen immediatly clearly. The crescent was seen easily with binocular with the help of mercury below it directly as seen in the photos. The weather was clear exept from haze last 2~3 degeees otherwise ther was a good chance to see the crescent with naked eyes."
  
  

• Egypt: Cloudy: ICOP member Mr. Rami Labib said: "The sky was extremly cloudy, The SUN disc itself was not visible."

• Libya: Not Seen: ICOP member Captin Salem Sahid mentioned that he did not see the crescent by naked eyes and the sky was partly cloudy.

• Algeria:
  1. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Houcine Chikh Aissa said: "The crescent of Muharram 1429 was seen by binocular and by naked eys and by telescope, (08) persens have observed Muharram 1429 crescent from new n'tissa station in Ghardaia using one binoculars (07x50) and telescope (1400*900); the first Vision is it at 18:14 by telescope; the crescent was seen by naked eyes at 18:25. The first Vision of mercure by telescoup is it at 18:12. Member of the club AMMI SAID d'ASTRONOMIE AMATEUR. Happy new year for all ICOP members and Muslims; Thank you..."
     

  2. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Bankih Kacem said: "The Muharam 1429 crescent was seen from Merkiche station at 18:06 by binoculars (20x60) and at 18:20 by naked eyes. 12 persents was seen this crescent.Sun set at 17:54. Moon set at 18:54. Last visible by naked eyes at 18:50. It was a beteauful conjunction between crescent Moon and Mercury. We have used "crescent pointer" (pic. 189) to find the Muharem crescent."
  
  

• cloudy: ICOP member Mr. Hammouda Bachir mentioned that it was totally couldy.

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

  2. Seen: ICOP member Prof. Hamid Touma said: "I would like to express my sincere thanks to Mohamed ODEH to have explain the point of view of the ICOP on the channel ALJazeera TV about the begenning of the Islamic Mounth. Yesterday, on 8 O'Clock PM it was officially declared in Moroccan Channel TV that the Crescent was seen in the Moroccan aera. So that the first day of the Mouharem and the first day of the new Hejjir Year is today Thursday 10 January 2008. I would like to take this opportunity to wish my best new Hejjir Year to all ICOP members and to the Muslim in the World."

• Senegal: Seen: ICOP member Dr. Abdoulaye Gaye said: "May Allah Grants all muslims a happy new year and Helps ICOP fulfill all of its mission. The new crescent was seen, today January 9, a little bit after sunset in Dakar and all around the country side. Muharram begins tomorrow Thursday 10 in Senegal."

• Kenya: Seen: ICOP member Mr. Fuad Saleh Bafana said: "Viewed Muharram crescent and seen! West Kenya!"

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

• Bosnia and Herzegovi: Cloudy: ICOP member Mr. Kemal Sehbajraktarevic said: "Whole Bosnia is under the thick cover of fog for several days, therefore observation couldn't be done. Islamic community of Bosnia and Herzegovina announced the new Hejric year for Thursday, based on the moonset after sunset criteria (sunset: 16:30, moonset 17:27)."

• UK:
  1. Cloudy: ICOP member Mr. Sulayman Gani said: "Sighting of the hilal was also attepted the previous day. It was totally cloudy and hilal set 18 minutes before sunset. Although today 9 January 2008 the crescent was 59 minutes on the horizon, it was not seen with the naked eye here in South West London . Before Sunset I observed the western horizon was clearing up. After sunset prayers it became totally cloudy again."

  2. Cloudy: ICOP member Mr. Abdurrashid Ayoubi from Kettering mentioned it was totally cloudy.

• Norway: Cloudy: ICOP member Mr. Imran Mushtaq said: "Islamic council of Norway have declared 1st Muharram Thursday 10.01.2008." Mr. Imran mentioned that the sky was totally cloudy.

• USA:

  1. Seen: ICOP member, Dr. Salman Shaikh said: "The young crescent Hilal of Muharram 1429H was sighted in several parts of North America, including New York, New Jersey, Georgia, Florida, Texas, California etc. on January 9, 2008G evening. Hence DhulHijja is 29 days and Thursday, January 10, 2008G is the 1st of Muharram, 1429H in North America, starting the Islamic New Year and one of the 4 sacred months."

  2. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Milad Ali Ershaghi from (Bloomington, CA) said: "Local sunset time was 4:58 p.m. and moonset time was 6:20 p.m. I first sighted the moon at 5:40pm in the city of Bloomington while driving in my car, heading westward on the 10 freeway from Redlands. The weather was overcast, but it was still possible to see the moon from 5:40pm to 5:50pm. By 5:58pm, the moon had disappeared. When the moon was visible, its elbows were at 3 o'clock and 6 o'clock, at an azimuth of 250 degrees relative to magnetic north."

  3. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Milad Ali Ershaghi from (Austin, TX) said: "Tuesday 1428 Dhul Hijjah 29 (2008 January 8) in Austin failed to see the Hilal -- it was too cloudy. So, we are counting 30, and Thursday is the 1st of Muharram. Nevertheless, we made note of the Hilal being sighted a few degrees south of sunset on Wednesday at inclination of 7.5 degrees at 18:22 (sunset was at 17:46 and moonset was anticipated at 19:06 in Austin). The Hilal was first observed at 18:12 and was visible for about 20 minutes before ducking behind clouds. The horns of the Crescent were at 7 and 2. Three people including myself reported seeing the Hilal in Austin."

• Trinidad and Tobago: ICOP member Mr. Ali Abdurrahman said: "First day of Muharram is Thursday, 10th January 2008"

Wednesday 09 January 2008:

1. Libya (Conjunction Before Dawn)
2. Qatar (30 Days of Thul Hijjah)
3. Oman (30 Days of Thul Hijjah)
4. Lebanon (30 Days of Thul Hijjah)
5. Egypt (30 Days of Thul Hijjah)
6. Saudi (According to the Supreme Judicial Council)

Thursday 10 January 2008:

1. Saudi (31 Days of Thul Hijjah! According to Official Dating System)
2. Kuwait (31 Days of Thul Hijjah!)
3. Bahrain (31 Days of Thul Hijjah!)
4. Jordan (31 Days of Thul Hijjah!)
5. Syria (31 Days of Thul Hijjah!)
6. Australia (Actual Sighting)
7. Indonesia (Actual Sighting)
8. Malaysia (Actual Sighting)
9. Iran (Actual Sighting)
10. Morocco (Actual Sighting)
11. Senegal (Actual Sighting)
12. USA (Actual Sighting)
13. Bosnia and Herzegovi
14. Norway
15. Trinidad and Tobago

Friday 11 January 2008:

1. Bangladesh
2. Pakistan

Due to the wrong beginning of Thul Hijjah 1428 AH, several countries are forced to have 31 days of Thul Hijjah! Find below the official statement of some countries which made Thul Hijjah 31 days!

Saudi

Kuwait

Bahrain

Jordan

Syria

The geocentric conjunction (Geocentric New Moon) will occur Inshalla on (Tuesday 08 January 2008) at 11:37 UT.

Monday 07 January 2008:

• Indonesia: Seen: ICOP member, Mr. AR Sugeng Riyadi said: "I could SEE the old crescent (Waning) of this month (Thul Hijjah 1428 H) in my location Bendo Ketitang Juwiring Klaten Central Java Indonesia (Lat: 7 41 39.17 S, Long: 110 44 20.64 E, elev: 98 m). The crescent was SEEN from 4:45 LT with alt 7 deg 22 mnt up to 05:15 with alt 13 deg 27 mnt, and the gray-cloud covered the waning untill the Sunrise @ 05:26 LT."
  

• Thailand: Seen: ICOP member, Mr. Ali Damsamut mentioned that he was able to see the crescent by naked eye.