International Astronomical Center

In this page:-

• When to Observe ?
• The Sixth Astro-Islamic Seminar in Jordan
• The Official Jordanian Meeting on 29 Sha'ban 1420 H
• Observing the Crescent
• The First Day in Different Countries
• The Accuracy of The Astronomical Calculations.
• Related Links

The geocentric new Moon will occur on Tuesday 07 December 1999, at 22:32 UT. On this day (Tuesday 07 December), the crescent will not be possible to be seen from anywhere on Earth! While on Wednesday 08 December The program Moon Calculator by Dr. Monzur Ahmed -according to Yallop criterion- showed that the crescent will be visible by telescopes starting from Egypt, while it should be visible by naked eyes somewhere starting from the Atlantic Ocean. And so, countries west of these areas (within the parabola) should be able to see the crescent on this day (08 December). On the other hand, countries outside the parabola will see the crescent on the next day (09 December). Consequently, arrange to observe the crescent after the sunset of 08 or 09 December. Kindly click on the below icon to see the visibility parabola as plotted by the program Moon Calculator

In other words, the correct beginning for Ramadan 1420 AH (according to the actual sighting of the crescent), should be on 09 December for countries within the above parabola, while other countries should start fasting on 10 December. However, Saudi will start Ramadan either on 08 or 09 December, because 29 Sha'ban in Saudi will be on 07 December! The reason for this problem is because Saudi did NOT start Sha'ban according to the actual sighting of the crescent! However, it is quit unexpected that Saudi will start Ramadan on 08 December. We think that most countries will start Ramadan on 09 December.

Results of seeing the crescent, and the first day of Ramadan in different countries will be added here as we receive the reports from ICOP's members. If you wish to be a member in ICOP, or to know more about it, kindly click here.

Since 1995 JAS used to organize an annual seminar in cooperation with the Jordanian Ministry of Islamic Affairs, to discuss the astronomical applications in Islam. This year we want to develop the seminar, and so we have invited several scientists and experts from abroad. Kindly Click Here to know more.

• Pakistan: ICOP member, Mr. Omer bin Abdul Aziz said: "The crescent was NOT sighted in Pakistan OFFICIALLY. 10th of December would be the 1st of Ramadan in Pakistan."

• Mauritius: ICOP member, Mr. Hamade Aubdoollah said: "Please note that Ramadan crescent was not visible on Wednesday night 8th December. Hence Ramadan is starting from Thursday night and first day of fasting in Mauritius is on Friday 10th December 1999."

• Iran: ICOP member, Mr. Alireza Mehranih informed us that he was not able to see the crescent, since the sky was hazy and partly cloudy.

• Iraq: ICOP member, Mr. Tarek Katbeh informed us that he was not able to see the crescent, since the sky was cloudy.

• Saudi:
  • ICOP member, Mr. Saleh Al-Saab said: "I tried to see the crescent today and yesterday by the telescope (8 inches) and binocular (15X 60) but no way ! dust was about three degrees above the horizon . Tomorrow ( Thursday) is the first day of Ramadan in Saudi Arabia."

  • ICOP member, Mr. Hani Al-Dalee' said: "Today as well I tried to observe the new moon from Riyadh, but the sky on the horizon was (AND IT IS ALWAYS LIKE THAT) hazy.

• Kenya: ICOP member, Mr. Mahmood Essa said: " We looked for the crescent on the evening of 8/12/99 but did not see it. The crescent was visible on the evening of 9/12/99 and thus most of us here in Kenya started fasting on 10/12/99 as per the chief kadhi's directive. A few followed Saudi Arabia and started on 9/12/99 but these were a small minority."

• Jordan: 10 members were ready to observe the crescent from anywhere in Jordan! Where extensive telephone calls were made few hours before sunset to seek for clear skies in Jordan. since it was cloudy in Amman (North-West Jordan), Shoubak (South Jordan), and Azraq (East Jordan). At last we preferred to go to Azraq, where it could be the best one. However, it was cloudy, and no crescent was seen. In addition, other members made an observation from Amman, and it was cloudy as well.

• Syria: ICOP members, Dr. Jalal Khanji and Dr. Hasan Bilani, informed us that they couldn't see the crescent since the western horizon was cloudy.

• Egypt: ICOP member, Dr. Ahmed Fathy of Helwan Observatory said: "I arrived only yesterday from "Kena", which is the place where I observe the new crescent of Ramadan. Kena is a city in the south of Egypt characterized by a high a mount. Our observation conditions were:-
  1. Clear sky.
  2. Telescope.
  3. A group of 11-persons from different Scientific places.

  We started to observe the crescent of Ramadan on Wednesday at 4.40 PM. We didn't observe any crescent for Ramadan on this day from 4.40 to 5.30Pm. Therefore, our decision is the beginning of Ramadan was on Thursday."

• Tunisia: Mr. Mohamed Khadraoui said: "Yesterday 8 December 1999 (30 Sha'ban for most countries), the crescent wasn't seen in Tunis by binoculars. I notice that the horizon was clear. (questions in the beginning day of Sha'ban !!)."

• Algeria: ICOP member, Dr. Jamal Mimouni said: "The first day was on Thursday after 'unsuccessful attempts' to sight the crescent on the Tuesday night."

• Nigeria: ICOP member, Mr. Alabi Isiaq said: "The crescent for Ramadan was not sighted here (Nigeria) as at sunset 17:45 GMT. The official declaration of Ramadan 1 is as declared by Saudi Arabia. However, some groups would not start Ramadan 1 until Friday."

• South Africa:
  • ICOP member, Dr. John Caldwell of the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), said: "17 knots wind from south; clear but a pollution haze low down; sea horizon unclear except where shown up by setting sun disk; looked very carefully with binos but not seen; pointing verified on Altair not far away."

  • ICOP member, Mr. Moh'd Yusuf Martin said: "The Crescent Society went to view the new moon last night, 08/12, but could not see the new moon. The official start of Ramadan in South Africa will be tomorrow, Friday 10/12/99."

• UK:
  • ICOP member, Dr. Monzur Ahmed said: "The weather was too cloudy on 8th Dec 1999 in Birmingham, UK. No sighting attempt made."

  • ICOP member, Mr. Mohammad Baig said: "London was not only cloudy it was raining! we asked Morocco the answer was negative sighting."

• Morocco:
  • ICOP member, Eng. Mounir El-Mokhtari said: "Ramadan begins officially in Morocco on Friday, December 10th 1999."

  • ICOP member, Dr. Hamid TOUMA said: "For the Ramadan, Officially the first day of the Ramadan is tomorrow Friday 10 December 99, because yesterday we were unable to observe the Crescent, which has 18 hours in live, in Morocco because the clouds and the crescent was very small to observe by naked eye."

• Canada: ICOP member, Mr. Mohammad Farooq said: "In Hamilton, Ontario. Canada horizon was clear at sunset, but I was unable to sight the crescent, with naked eyes and binoculars. Local mosques of Hamilton announced yesterday that first day of Ramadan will be Thursday December 9th."

• USA: As written at Khalid Shaukat home page: "Confirmed sighting report on Dec 8, 1999, has been received from Philadelphia, PA, Sighting by Imam Mohammed Abdur-Razak. This sighting was with Binoculars and Telescope, and could not be seen with the unaided-eye. Also, 5 people from Orlando, FL have seen, one of them confirmed with binoculars. Another report from 3 people in Tucson Arizona for naked eye is also confirmed. It was also seen at Smithfield Utah."

• India: ICOP member, Dr. Sultan Ismail said: "I am happy to tell u that the crescent was sighted today Thursday 9 December 99 after Maghrib in the SW direction. Visible to the naked eye very clearly. Tomorrow 10 December is the first day of Ramadan."

To know about the accuracy of the astronomical calculations, then please click here

• Crescents Section
• Important information to know (Ramadan 1419 AH)
• Islamic Crescents' Observation Project (ICOP)
• The Actual Saudi Dating System
• The Sixth Astro-Islamic Seminar

Other Sites

• Astronomy and Islam, by Dr. Monzur Ahmed.
• Astronomy for Islam, by Khalid Shaukat.
• Committee for Crescent Observation (CFCO).
• David McNaughton (Islamic Page).
• Dr. Mohib Durrani's Page on Islam & Astronomy.
• Five Millennia Catalog of Phases of the Moon (NASA).
• Islamic Calendar.
• Lunar Crescent Visibility, by the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO).
• New Moon Report.
• Ramadhan and Eid ul-Fitr, by Dr. Monzur Ahmed.
• Very Easy and Convincing Article by A 6-Year Muslim Researcher.