International Astronomical Center

So far, the earliest sighting of the crescent was on Saturday 13 April 2002 from Morocco by Germany ICOP member, Mr. Gerhard Ahmad Kaufmann. The crescent was also seen on this day from USA.

Saturday 13 April

• Malaysia: ICOP member, Dr. Zainol Abidin Ibrahim mentioned that it was cloudy.

• Brunei: ICOP member, Mr. Mahadi Mohamad Tahir said: "The crescent was not sighted on 13/4/2002 due to the thick cloud at the west horizon. However the crescent was clearly seen on the next day (14/4/2002) until the crescent set. Safar start on 14/4/2002.

• Maldives: ICOP member, Mr. Fahmy Muthasim said: "The crescent should have been visible except for clouds."

• Iran:
  1. ICOP member, Mr. Saeed Janghorban said: "Because of clouds we did not try to observe the crescent."

  2. ICOP member, Mr. AliReza Mehrani said: "12X70 Binocular, 13/4/2002. Western horizon was partially cloudy and the crescent wasn't seen."

  3. ICOP member, Mr. Asadollah Khoddam Mohammadi mentioned that the sky was clear but NO crescent was seen by naked eyes.

  4. ICOP member, Mr. Amir Hasanzadeh mentioned that the sky was partly cloudy and NO crescent was seen by naked eyes or binoculars.

• Kuwait: ICOP member, Mr. Hussain Khushaish said: "It was hazy just the last 2 or 3 degrees of the westren horizon."

• Saudi: ICOP member, Mr. Saleh Al-Saab mentioned that the sky way hazy.

• Bahrain: ICOP member, Mr. Fathi Mayoof said: "According to the astronomical forecasts, the crescent parameters in Bahrain just above the visibility limit – Yallop criteria – so, it was need a computerized telescope to detect the crescent associated with perfect weather conditions, but both of them wasn’t available, the clouds and hazes covered western horizon such that I haven’t the chance to observe the crescent."

• Algeria: ICOP member, Mr. Bankih Bankacem said: "The Safar 1423 crescent wasn't observed from Bahmed Oumoussa. The western horizon was partly cloudy, dusty and hazy;nor the crescent nor Venus have been observed."

• Morocco:
  1. Germany ICOP member, Mr. Gerhard Ahmad Kaufmann said: "Because I'm actually visiting my family-in-law, this time I'm able to send you an observation report from Morocco, together with my dearest greetings. From my observation point a short distance north of the city of Agadir, I had an open view far over the Atlantic Ocean. The crescent was clearly visible with binoculars for about 12 minutes to my brother-in-law and me, then it disappeared behind a low layer of clouds at the western horizon. Its shape was a very thin line without width and with brighter and darker parts. Observation with naked eyes was tried, but because of a thin haze it was very doubtful and therefore not possible."

  2. ICOP member, Dr. Abdelkhalek Cheddadi said: "According to a statement diffused by the Ministery of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, the crescent of Safar hasn't been observed Saturday evening (corresponding to Muharram 29th in Morocco). So 1st Safar is Monday, April 15th. It was cloudy and rainy on Saturday, over a large part of the country. On Sunday, although the sky wasn't completely clear, the crescent was easily visible in Rabat."

  3. ICOP member, Prof. Hamid Touma said: "I am glad to inform you that in Morocco, the AWQAF Ministry has officially declared that the first day of SAFAR ALKHAYRE is Sunday 14 April 2002. And so the Crescent was been observed on Saturday 13 April 2002 in the Area of the Kindom of Morocco. This decision is good in astronomical sens because, as you know that the new Moon was on Friday 12 Arpil 2002 at 19 h 21min, and just after the Sunset(18h54m) on Saturday 13 Arpil 2002, the Crescent has 23 h 35 min. So it was goodly observable. I would like to take this opportunity to wish to all ICOP members and to all muslims in the Wolrd a good Safar.

• Kenya: ICOP member, Mr. Ali Darani said: "Yesterday 29/1/1423 H corresponding to 13/4/02 it was cloudy and the crescent could not be seen and as such we completed 30 days of muharram 1423H corresponding to 14/4/02. The crescent was however was seen clearly today and tomorrow, Monday, 15/4/02 is the beginning of Safar, 1423 H."

• South Africa: ICOP member, Mr. Abdurrazak Ebrahim Snr said: "The Hilaal for Safar has not been sighted in Southern Africa this Saturday evening, the 13 of April 2002. At Three Anchor Bay, Cape Town, (sea-level veiwing) there was a band of clouds on the horizon and sighting was impossible. At Signal Hill, Cape Town, (approximately 300 m above sea-level) parts of the horizon were clear but no Hilaal was sighted. Negative reports were recieved from Durban (Kwa-Zulu Natal Province), Johannesburg (Gauteng Province), Port Elizabeth (Eastern Province), and Kimberley (North-West Province). The Muslim Judicial Council has declared that the 1 of Safar will correspond to Monday, 15 April 2002."

• Nigeria: ICOP member, Dr. Sani Mustapha said: "The western horizon was totally cloudy."

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

     Location  = Tucson, Arizona (USA)
     Longitude = 110.9644 W
     Latitude  =  32.4204 N
     Elevation = 843 meters
     
     Local Sunset at   6:52 p.m. (MST)  13 Apr. 2002
     UT Time and Date of Sunset = 01:52 14 Apr. 2002
     
     Crescent first observed through 9x63 binoculars:
     Time     =    7:08 p.m. (MST)
     Altitude =    8.2 degrees
     Azimuth  =  277.4 degrees
     Elongation of the Moon from Sun =  13.6 degrees
     Percent of surface that is lit  =   1.6 degrees
     
     Crescent first observed with the naked eye:
     Time     =    7:11 p.m. (MST)
     Altitude =    7.5 degrees
     Azimuth  =  277.8 degrees
     Elongation of the Moon from Sun =  13.6 degrees
     Percent of surface that is lit  =   1.6 degrees
     
     Final observation with naked eye:
     Time     =    7:44 p.m. (MST)
     Altitude =    0.9 degrees
     Azimuth  =  282.1 degrees
     
     Local Moonset at   7:53 p.m. (MST)  13 Apr. 2002
     UT Time and Date of Moonset = 02:53 14 Apr. 2002
     
     Hilal was very easy to see, and became easier and easier, even through 
     some thin clouds.  Hilal led me to Mercury before that planet set.
     

  2. ICOP member, Mr. Muhammad Hafiz said: "I SAW THE CRESCENT IN OPA LOCKA, FLORIDA, USA ON SATURDAY, 13TH APRIL, 2002. IT WAS FIRST SEEN AT 8:10 PM AFTER SUNSET. THE HORIZON HAD EXTENSIVE PATCHY CLOUDS WHICH LATER OBSTRUCTED THE CRESENT'S VIEW AFTER A SPAN OF ABOUT 12 MINUETES."

• Guyana: ICOP member, Mr. Muhammad Hafiz said: "SULTAN HAFIZ REPORTED FROM GUYANA, THAT ATTEMPS WERE MADE TO OBSERVE THE CRESCENT BY HIMSELF AND MEMBERS OF ROSE HALL TOWN MASJID AND THE ROSE HALL TOWN ISLAMIC CENTER ON SATURDAY, 13TH APRIL, 2002. THE CRESCENT WAS NOT SEEN BECAUSE THE WESTERN HORIZON WAS COMPLETELY OBSTRUCTED BY RAINY CLOUDS."

Sunday 14 April:-

1. Malaysia
2. Brunei
3. Maldives
4. Iran
5. Bahrain
6. Kuwait
7. Saudi
8. Jordan
9. Nigeria
10. USA
11. Guyana

Monday 15 April:-

1. Kenya
2. South Africa
3. Morocco