International Astronomical Center

The geocentric conjunction (Geocentric New Moon) will occur Inshalla on (Thursday 27 April 2006) at 20:10 UT.

So far, the earliest sighting of the crescent was on Friday 28 April 2006 from Iran by ICOP member Mr. Alireza Mehrani.

Friday 28 April 2006:

• Indonesia: ICOP member, Mr. Mutoha MMC said: "The crescent not seen from my location. Indonesian Hejri Calendar used "Imkanurrukyat Criterion". The first day of Rabiul Akhir 1427 Hejri base on Imkanurrukyat Saturday, 29 April 2006. The Rukyatul Hilal Indonesia for Rabiul Akhir 1427 H by link here : http://rukyatulhilal.tripod.com/rabiulakhir1427.html"

• Malaysia: ICOP member, Mr. Kassim Bahali said: "A group of Al-Khawarizmi observatory staff tried to observe the hilal with Meade telescope LX200 8", binocular and teodolite but it was not seen because the western sky was cloudy. The first day Rabiul Akhir begins on Saturday 29 April 2006"

• Iran: ICOP member Mr. Alireza Mehrani said:

  - Location: Esfahan ( 32:41N 51:34E )
  - Time zone: + 3.5
  - Observer: Alireza Mehrani
  - Tools: 15x70 bin
  - Weather: Partly Cloudy at the western horizon
  - Sunset: Behind clouds
  - First crescent observatin: at 18:55 (LT) through 15x70 bin
  - After few minutes, the clouds covered the crescent.
  

• UAE: ICOP member Mohammad Odeh said: "Tried to observe the crescent from Hafit mountain (1000 m above mean sea-level). The crescent was not seen due to the cloudy sky!

• Saudi:
  1. ICOP member Mr. Saleh Al-Saab said: "The crescent will remain 46 minutes after the sun, but some cloudes on the western horizon were a problem."

  2. ICOP member Mr. Edrees Al Shubbar said: "The crescent was seen by a total number of 4 people at the same sighting place as first was seen by 2 people then after it has been explained to the others they where able seen it after about 15 minutes"

  3. ICOP member Mr. Anwar Al-Muhammad said: "I with 3 parsons tried to sight the new crescent of Rabee-II-25, 20 minutes before the time of sun set in Friday, 28 April 2006, in the eastern area of Saudi Arabia “Al-Aujam- 26:33N, 49:47E” at the observatory of Qatif Astronomy Society (QAS). We used a computerized 10” LX-200, GPS, telescope. It was first seen at a time of sunset through the eyepiece then after 20 minuets through the viewfinder. The western horizon was partially cloudy, so we could not saw it by naked eye. Its picture is available at: www.qasweb.org and on the forum: http://qasweb.org/qasforum/index.php?showtopic=3099&st=0&#entry9476."
     
     28 April 2006

• Algeria: ICOP member Mr. Yahia Meghnine said: "The western horizon in Merkich station was totaly cloudy. The new crescent was not seen."

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

• Zanzibar: ICOP member Mr. Hamza Rijal said: "Yesterday it was 29 of Rabil-Awal as usually I engaged on searching for the crescent it was too much haze clouds, I have failed to observed and we in Zanzibar we complete 30 days and tomorrow 30th of April shall be Awal Rabiul-Thani."

• Nigeria: ICOP member Mr. Muhammed Ya'sin Qamardeen said: " Hilal of Rabiul Thanni was not sighted by myself, nor any of our observers across Nigeria confirmed positive sighting due to heavy cloudy as reported. Locations are Abuja, Ilorin, Damaturu in Yobe stae, Bauchi city."

• Germany: ICOP member Mr. Gerhard Ahmad Kaufmann: Cloudy.

• UK:
  1. ICOP member Mr. AbdurRashid Ayoubi said: " Negative sighting. The horizon was extremely cloudy."

  2. ICOP member Mr. Muhammad Afifi al-Akiti said: "Negative sighting. After Maghrib prayers, the two of us attempted a sighting at the end of the 29th day of the preceeding lunar month (Friday, 28 April 2006). As the new moon is expected to be easily visible today given that the minimum conditions for sighting visibility [shurut imkan al-ru'ya] are met, and especially since it is expected to be above the horizon at 11 degrees, the sighting was not attempted at the usual site. Unfortunately, the horizon was overcast [ghaym] and no sighting was possible as a result. Instead, we received news from Morocco that the new crescent was sighted and that the authority there has declared the next day to be the first of the new month. This news is sufficient for us to establish the new month [thubut al-hilal] of Rabi' al-Thani in the UK, so that tomorrow, Saturday, the 29th of April is the first day of the new lunar month and not the 30th of Rabi' I, by default, following the rule in Fiqh: 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."

• USA:

  1. ICOP member Mr. Javad Torabinejad mentioned that he was able to see the crescent by naked eye.

  2. ICOP Member, Ms. Mary Singer said: "The new lunar crescent was seen from Spokane, WA." Seen by naked eye.

Saturday 29 April 2006:

1. Indonesia
2. Malaysia
3. Saudi
4. Jordan
5. Morocco
6. UK
7. USA

The geocentric conjunction (Geocentric New Moon) will occur Inshalla on (Thursday 27 April 2006) at 20:10 UT.

Thursday 27 April 2006: