International Astronomical Center

So far, the earliest sighting of the crescent was on Sunday 06 October 2002 from USA by ICOP member Mr. Jim Stamm.

Sunday 06 October 2002

• Singapore: Mr. Ibrahim Muhammad Ridhwan said: "In the following of the Singapore Islamic Calendar, the month of Syaaban falls on Tuesday,8 of October 2002,first of Shaban 1423 hijrah due to the moonset, about 6:56pm and Sunset at 6:57pm. OK thats the report from the Singapore's Rukyah observation and Ass'salamu'alai'kum to all the muslim people in Singapore and other parts of Asia.

• Kuwait: ICOP member, Mr. Hussain Khushaish said: "On Sunday 6 Oct 2002 we tried to sight Shaban's crescent but we could not see it."

• Saudi: ICOP member, Mr. Saleh Al-Saab said: "THE CRESCENT WAS ONLY 2.7 DEGREES ABOVE THE HORIZON AFTER SUNSET." Brother Saleh mentioned that he couldn't see the crescent neither by naked eyes nor by binoculars.

• Nigeria: ICOP member, Dr. Sani Mustapha said: "The western horizon just where the sun set was cloudy. It is continuously raining in Kaduna."

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

     Time from new at sunset = 13 hours 44 minutes
     
     Location  = Tucson, Arizona (USA)
     Longitude = 110.9645 W
     Latitude  =  32.4204 N
     Elevation = 842 meters
     
     Temperature          = ~84 degrees Fahrenheit
     Relative Humidity    =  14 percent
     Atmospheric Pressure =  29.97 inches of mercury
     
     Local Sunset at   6:02 p.m. (MST)  06 Oct. 2002
     UT Time and Date of Sunset = 01:02 07 Oct. 2002
     
     Crescent first observed through 8" SC telescope:
     Time     =    6:11 p.m. (MST)   01:11 (UT)
     Altitude =    4.2 degrees
     Azimuth  =  260.7 degrees
     Elongation of the Moon from Sun =  8.1 degrees
     Percent of surface that was lit =  0.6 percent
     
     Crescent never observed through binoculars, or with unaided eye.
     
     Final observation with telescope:
     Time     =    6:18 p.m. (MST)   01:18 (UT)
     Altitude =    2.7 degrees
     Azimuth  =  261.6 degrees
     Elongation of the Moon from Sun =  8.3 degrees
     
     Local Moonset at   6:35 p.m. (MST)  06 Oct. 2002
     UT Time and Date of Moonset = 01:35 07 Oct. 2002
     
     Hilal first seen to be about 30 degrees unbroken.
     @ 6:14;  About 50 degrees with wide breaks.
     @ 6:18;  About 100 degrees continuous with good seeing only.
     At this point I tried to take a photograph, and when I returned to the 
     eyepiece at 6:25 p.m., I was unable to recover the crescent, as the image 
     was getting into the trees.
     

  2. ICOP member, Dr. Ahmad Raza Khan said: "New moon was not sighted in Nebraska USA on Sunday Oct. 6th, 2002 due to heavy clouds. According to my fiancee, the new moon was not sighted by her and her family in San Fransisco, CA even though the weather was very cooperative on Sunday."

Monday 07 October 2002

• Malaysia: ICOP member, Mr. Kassim Bahali said: "The hilal was seen by telescope 8" LX200 but not by naked eye and binocular."

• Brunei: ICOP member, Mr. Mahadi Mohamad Tahir said: "The altitude of the crescent when it was first seen was 2deg 45min and the age of the moon was 23h 31min.

• Maldives: ICOP member, Mr. Ahmed Salih said: "There were dark clouds near the horizon but crescent can nicely been seen. I tried to see the moon yesterday, but it was too cloudy. But from the altitude of the moon today, I would say it would not have been possible even otherwise to see the moon yesterday.

• Iran:
  1. ICOP member, Mr. AliReza Mehrani mentioned that the crescent was seen by naked eyes and by binoculars."

  2. ICOP member, Mr. Asadollah Khoddam Mohammadi mentioned that the crescent was seen by naked eyes and by binoculars."

• Kuwait: ICOP member, Mr. Hussain Khushaish said: "On Monday 7 Oct 2002 we -a group of 12 persons at one site - saw the crescent at 17:44 - 17:45 with naked eyes that's 17 minutes after our local sunset until 18:00 that's 22 minutes before our local sunset."

• Jordan: ICOP member, Mohammad Odeh said: "Despite the partly cloudy weather, the crescent was seen by 10" LX200 Meade telescope, and later on, most of us (about 30 observers of JAS) were able to see it by naked eyes."

• Syria: ICOP member, Prof. Hasan Bilani mentioned that the sky was cloudy.

• Algeria: ICOP member, Mr. Bankih Bankacem said: "On Saturday October 6th, the moon age was only 6 hours and 10 minutes. The new crescent of Shaban 1423 wasn’t visible according to its age. Also the sky was cloudy. On Sunday October 7th, a group of 6 persons saw the new crescent with: Binoculars (30x8) at 18:28 when it’s 30 hours and 11 minutes old and Naked eyes at 18:36, 16 minutes before the best time (MoonCalc), Although the crescent was very thin and the western horizon was hazy (about 3°). The last time we saw it was, with: Binoculars at 19:11, i.e. 14 minutes before the calculated moon set, Naked eyes at 19:07, i.e. 18 minutes before the calculated moon set."

• Kenya: ICOP member, Mr. Mahmood Essa said: "I am happy to report that I was able to observe the new crescent quite easily yesterday evening, without optical aids, and thus today, Tuesday, 8/10/02 is our first day of shabaan."

• Nigeria:

  1. ICOP member, Mr. Usman Dukku said: "The crescent was easily sighted here at Bauchi."

  2. ICOP member, Mr. Aminu Lukuman said: "There were thick cloud and so the crescent was not seen."

  3. ICOP member, Mr. Isiaq Alabi said: "The crescent was sighted here (Lagos, Nigeria) on the evening of Monday Oct. 7."

  4. ICOP member, Dr. Sani Mustapha said: "The western horizon was cloudy today and the sun set could not even be seen."

• South Africa: ICOP member, Mr. Abdurrazak Ebrahim Snr said: "The Shabaan Hilaal was clearly visible over Southern Africa this evening, Monday - 7th October 2002. At my sighting location at Three Anchor Bay, Cape Town - the Hilaal was first observed at 19h05 local time about 12 minutes after astronomical sunset. Venus was visible at sunset and the lunar coordinates at first sighting was 11 degrees altitude, and 2 degrees south. Present at the sighting location were approximately 90 persons, all of whom witnessed the appearance of the Hilaal. The official 1st Shabaan 1423 in Southern Africa corresponds to 8th October 2002."

• Germany: ICOP member, Mr. Gerhard Ahmad Kaufmann said: "Although there was a low layer of haze and cloud streaks at the western horizon, the crescent could be seen shining through for a couple of minutes with binoculars and naked eyes. Blessed month of Shaban to everybody!"

• USA:
  1. ICOP member, Mr. Muhammad Hafiz said: "The Hilal (New Crescent) was observed in Opa Locka, Florida, USA on Monday, 07th October, 2002 at 7:20 PM. The upper horn of the Hilal was ponting at the 1 o'clock position and the lower horn at the 7 o'clock position."

     Dr. Hafiz added in another email:-

     "Sultan Hafiz reported from Guyana, that attemps were made to observe the New Crescent by himself and members of Rose Hall Town Masjid and Rose Hall Town Islamic Center on October 7th, 2001 at 6:00 PM. The New Crescent was seen by many without any difficulty."

  2. ICOP member, Mr. Gulamabbas Khakoo said: "Sighted the crescent with naked eye this evening of 7th OCT, 2002 18:45 hrs local time here in Buena Park, (30 miles S. of Los Angeles) California. Sighting was very clear. May Allah grant us Maghferat for our short comings."

Monday 07 October:-

1. Maldives
2. Kuwait
3. Saudi
4. Syria

Tuesday 08 October:-

1. Malaysia
2. Brunei
3. Singapore
4. Pakistan
5. Iran
6. Jordan
7. Kenya
8. South Africa
9. USA
10. Guyana