International Astronomical Center

The following images were prepared by ICOP member Mr. Mohammad Baig, they show the position of the crescent above the western horizon in Mecca, London, Dhaka and New York on 07 and 08 February 2008.

So far, the earliest sighting of the crescent was on Thursday 07 February 2008 from USA by ICOP member Mr. Jim Stamm.

Thursday 07 February 2008:

• Indonesia: Not Seen/Cloudy: ICOP member Mr. Mutoha Arkanuddin said: "Thursday evening (7/2) the western sky in my observation site was totally cloudy. No sighting on this day. The Indonesian Government have announced formally that the first Shafar 1429 AH will be started at Friday, 8 February 2008 by Mabims Criterion (moon altitude > 2 deg). More http://rukyatulhilal.org."

• Iran: Not Seen/Partly Cloudy: ICOP member Mr. Kambiz Khaleghi mentioned that he was not able to see the crescent by binoculars, and the sky was partly cloudy.

• Kuwait: Not Seen/Partly Cloudy: ICOP member Mr. Hussain Khushaish said: "In Kuwait on Thursday 7 Feb 2008 I could not see the crescent even with 8" telescope. The western horizon was cloudy upto 5 degrees."

• Algeria:
  1. Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Houcine Chikh Aissa said: "More than 22 persons were prensent in N'tissa station. Safar 1429 crescent was not seen neither by naked eyes nor by binoculars (02) and telescope. The western horizon was partly hazy."

  2. Not Seen/Partly Cloudy/Hazy: ICOP member Mr. Bankih Kacem said:
     - Location: Merkiche station, Benisguen, Algeria
     - Latitude: 32° 27' N
     - Longitude: 03° 41' E
     - Elevation: 550 meters
     - Time Zone: +1
     - Sunset: 18:20
     - Present: 08 persons
     - Binocular: 60x20, 40x8, 30x7
     - Result: not seen
     

• Morocco: Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Othman Fadli mentioned that he was not able to see the crescent by naked eye, and the sky conditions were superb.

• Kenya: Cloudy: ICOP member Mr. Fuad Saleh mentioned that it was cloudy.

• Nigeria: Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Muhammed Ya'sin Qamardeen said: "The New Hilal was not sighted tonight here at Lagos in spite of relative clear Sky. I'm still expecting result from other part of Nigeria."

• South Africa: Not Seen: ICOP member Dr. Abdurrazak Ebrahim mentioned that he was not able to see the crescent by telescope despite the clear sky.

• UK: Not Seen: ICOP member Mr. Muhammad Afifi al-Akiti from Oxford said: "Negative sighting. I attempted to perform the sighting tonight in Oxford on 29 Muharram, Thursday 7th of February, immediately after Maghrib prayers. The local horizon is overcast. There have been no reports of any positive sightings tonight from Indonesia to Morocco, which would mean that we will be completing 30 days of Muharram tomorrow and that the 1st day of Safar will fall on the following day, Saturday 9th of February in the UK."

• USA:
  1. Not Seen/Partly Cloudy: ICOP member Mr. Javad Torabinejad from (Blacksburg, VA) said: "Using a pair of binoculars (7x50), this evening (Thursday, February, 7, 2008), I tried sighting the moon of Safar in Blacksburg, VA, with no success. The western horizon was partly cloudy."

  2. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Jim Stamm said:
     "Location = Tucson, Arizona (USA)
     Longitude = 110.9645 W
     Latitude = 32.4204 N
     Elevation = 842 meters
     Time Zone = -7.0 hours

     Surface conditions at Tucson International Airport (805 m):
     Temperature = 15 degrees Celsius
     Relative Humidity = 25 percent
     

     Topocentric and local time values from “Accurate Times”:
     Sunset (at sea level) = 18:07
     Moonset (at sea level) = 18:57
     Time from new moon at 18:30 = 20 hr. 34 min.
     Moon lag time = 50 min.
     Relative Altitude = 2.5 degrees
     Elongation from sun = 10.3 degrees
     Crescent width = 15 arc seconds
     Illumination = 0.8 percent
     

     Crescent first observed through 8” SC telescope:
     Time = 18:13 (* see note)
     Altitude = 6.5 degrees

     Crescent first observed through 6x30 finder:
     Time = 6:22
     Altitude = 4.8 degrees

     Final observation with telescope:
     Time = 18:42
     Altitude = 0.9 degrees

     Final observation with binoculars:
     Time = 18:42
     Altitude = 0.9 degrees
     

     * Crescent would have been seen earlier, but focus was off. Initial arc length was about 90 degrees, growing to about 130 degrees at 18:30, but no lengthening after that time."

  3. Not Seen/Hazy: ICOP member Mr. Milad Ali Ershaghi from (Bloomington, CA) said: "Local sunset time was 5:25PM and moonset time was 6:19PM. Driving westbound on the 10 freeway from Redlands past Bloomington, I looked for the new moon from 6:00PM onward - but could not see it. The sky seemed to be very hazy due to smog."

Friday 08 February 2008:

• Indonesia: Not Seen/Cloudy: ICOP member, Mr. AR Sugeng Riyadi said: "The New Crescent (Waxing) of Safar 1429 H was NOT SEEN from my location: Bendo Ketitang Juwiring - Klaten Indonesia (7°41' S, 110°44' E, Elev: 98 m, Zone:GMT+7) on Fridya, 8 February 2008, because the western sky was totally cloudy.""

• Bangladesh: Not Seen/Hazy: ICOP member Mr. Azizul Huq said: "On 8th February after Magrib Prayer I was at the roof of 15 storied building to see the horizon clearly. But the sky was hazy all over and covered with thin layer of cloud. The visibility was very poor around Dhaka city. I could not see the Crescent Moon. I was disappointed to see the sky with cloud. At 9 pm local time, Moon observation committee of Bangladesh Islamic Foundation, declared that the crescent was observed some where in Bangladesh. So tomorrow,9th February 2008 is 1st of Safar in Bangladesh."

• Pakistan:
  1. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Shahid Qureshi mentioned that he was able to see the crescent by naked eye.

     Tanzania

  2. Not Seen/Partly Cloudy: ICOP member Mr. Tahir Gul Hasan mentioned that he ws not able to see the crescent by binoculars, and the sky conditions were hazy and partly cloudy.

  3. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Muhammad Sultan Alam said: "I was ill so I could not go myself to sight the moon but I requested 5 persons, all were scholars and students of our institute. They easily sighted the crescent by naked eyes, as it was expected tonight i.e. on Friday 8 February 2008. They sighted the crescent from the 4th floor of our institute situated in Nazimabad 4, Karachi, Pakistan. Some other scholars of our institute (JAMIATUR-RASHEED) situated in (Ahsanabad, Karachi, Pakistan) also easily sighted the moon in Ahsanabad. Some members of personal moon sighting committees of our institute (JAMIATUR-RASHEED) reported from Kohat, N.W.F.P. and Pishin, Balochistan that they easily sighted the moon as it was expected, but some other reported from Batal and Abbotabad that they could not sight the moon due to cloudy weather. Chairman of central governmental moon sighting committee of Pakistan told me on my personal mobile number that he and his all members sighted the moon and received the positive reports of moon sighting from all over the Pakistan, therefore he has officially announced that 1st Safar 1429 will be on Saturday 9 February 2008 in Pakistan after ending the 29 days of Muharram 1429."

• Iran:
  1. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Kambiz Khaleghi mentioned that he was able to see the crescent by naked eye.

  2. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Majid Marzani said: "The crescent was seen by naked eyes and Binocular in Tehran at 17:46."
     

• UAE: Seen: ICOP member Mr. Mohammad Odeh said: "The crescent was easily visible by naked eye."

• Saudi: Seen: ICOP member Mr. A.Hameed Ali Haji said: "The new crescent was easily visible in Saudi. 49:57E. 26:33N. FRI 8 FEB. TIME 17:24. I observed the crescent with the the group of Waliaser. Nader Gluoom. Majeed Ahmed and the group of Qatif Astronomy Society."

• Egypt:
  1. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Rami Labib said: "Crescent was easly visible by naked eye. At 6PM Cairo Local time, Azimuth=250 Deg. Altitude=13 Deg."

  2. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Qassem Al Damasie mentioned that he was able to see the crescent by naked eye.

• Algeria: Seen: ICOP member Mr. Bankih Kacem said:
  - Location: Benisguen, Algeria
  - Latitude: 32° 28' N
  - Longitude: 03° 41' E
  - Elevation: 480 meters
  - Time Zone: +1
  - Sunset: 18:17
  - Present: 01 person
  - Result: seen easily at 18:23.
  

• Senegal: Seen: ICOP member Mr. Ibrahima Thierno LO mentioned that he was able to see the crescent by naked eye.

• Nigeria:
  1. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Muhammed Ya'sin Qamardeen said: "It was seen today."

  2. Seen: ICOP member Imam Majolagbe Monsuru said: "Many people sighted the moon and we phone more people to watch."

• Hungary: Seen: ICOP member Dr. M. Al-Majari mentioned that he was able to see the crescent by naked eye.

• Germany:
  1. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Ibrahim Leibfried mentioned that he was able to see the crescent by naked eye.

  2. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Gerhard Ahmad Kaufmann said: "An almost clear sky except for some cirrus streaks, a magnificent and colourful sunset, and an easily observable crescent from the moment of sunset onwards - this was an easy one, nevertheless impressive."
     
     Time 18:05 CET
     Moon altitude 10.1°
     Elongation 18.5°
     Moon Age 37.4 h
     Illum. fraction 2.8 %
     
     
     Time 18:22 CET
     Moon altitude 7.8°
     Elongation 18.7°
     Moon Age 37.6 h
     Illum. fraction 2.9 %
     

• UK:
  1. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Abdurrashid Ayoubi from Kettering mentioned that he was able to see the crescent by naked eye. Mr. Ayoubi added: "Today is Friday. 29 Muharram was yesterday (Thursday) when Moon could not be seen,therefore we completed 30 days here in UK."

  2. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Qamar Uddin from York said: "I was driving home from work today (Friday, 8/2/2008) at 18:15 hrs via A64, about 5 miles outside York (UK) and was easily able to sight the crescent on the western horizon, which was 12:45 hrs shape on the clock and was very thin. As I entered the city, the glares of artificial lights hide the crescent, so it was no longer visible. Later, I have verified my observations with Dr Monzur Ahmend'd MoonCal 6 program and found my naked-eye observations were consistent with astronomical data. I wish to advise all ICOP members that it is now possible to sight the new crescent from UK than it was possible in the past, since the whole country is not cloudy at the same time any more. So, please try to revive the Prophetic Sunnah of sighting the new crescent every month from your location and report it to ICOP."

  3. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Mohammad Baig from Slough said: "Yesterday (Thursday) was cloudy and chances would have been slim even if it was clear. However, today was a sunny day all day and a few minor patches of clouds gathered on Western horizon but the moon was clearly visible although we posted 3 observers on different view points. This was great to do in UK where we always look to others for report and to experiene it here is a rare occasion. We look forward to some great opportunities coming over the next few months when we might be amongst the first to see the moon."
     

  4. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Syed Wasty said: "Sufer new moon seen in London very easily with naked eyes. It appeared to be nearly 30 degrees high from the surface of earth at around 17-30 hrs GMT."

  5. Seen: ICOP member Mr. Sulayman Gani said: "After the Maghrib Salaat a large group (over 40) of us observed the hilal with the naked eye here in the south west of London in Tooting. It was sighted with great ease. We recited the dua and welcomed the month of Safar. There were many amongst us who sighted the hilal for the first time ever in this country. Can you imagine the happiness, the joy and the tears. Mashallah to www.icoproject.org."

• USA: Seen: ICOP member Mr. Javad Torabinejad from (Blacksburg, VA) said: "This evening (Friday, February 08, 2008), we sighted the moon in Blacksburg, VA. The crescent was very high in sky and very easy to see. Unlike yesterday, the sighting conditions were excellent!"

Friday 08 February 2008:

1. Indonesia
2. Saudi
3. UAE
4. Kuwait
5. Bahrian
6. Qatar
7. Oman
8. Jordan
9. Egypt
10. Algeria

Saturday 09 February 2008:

1. Bangladesh
2. Pakistan
3. Morocco
4. Senegal

The geocentric conjunction (Geocentric New Moon) will occur Inshalla on (Thursday 07 February 2008) at 03:45 UT.

Wednesday 06 February 2008:

• Indonesia: Partly Cloudy: ICOP member, Mr. AR Sugeng Riyadi said: "The Old Crescent (Waning) of Muharram 1429 H was NOT SEEN from my location: PPMI Assalaam - Surakarta Indonesia (7°33' S, 110°46' E, Elev: 111 m, Zone:GMT+7) on Wednesday, 6 February 2008 with my student of CASA (Club Astronomi Santri Assalaam). We've tried to see from 05:00 LT up to 05:38 LT when SunRise (waning crescent alt was 12°15' @ sunrise) but all of we can not see the crescent because the eatern horizon was partly cloudy.""

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

• Iran: Not Seen/Partly Cloudy: ICOP member Mr. Kambiz Khaleghi mentioned that he was not able to see the crescent by binoculars, and the sky was partly cloudy.