After a difference that occurred in the month of Shaaban last and then an agreement in the month of Ramadan between the Arab countries in addition to other countries such as Turkey, Malaysia and Indonesia, this means that Thursday, Ramadan 29, corresponding to April 20, represents the day of investigating the sighting of the crescent of Shawwal in all those countries through special Sharia committees.

What does astronomy say?

To understand the sighting of the crescent from an astronomical point of view, we begin by learning about the moon's rotation around the Earth, which occurs every about 28 days.

You can easily notice this cycle from your home, just go up to the roof of the house at the same time every day and contemplate the position of the moon in the sky, you will find that at the beginning of the Hijri month it is above the western horizon, that is, the position of the sunset after it descends directly below the horizon, after that and with the passage of days you will find that the moon changes its position as if it jumps in the sky day after day away from the sun.

Some Arab countries can see the crescent of Shawwal with telescopes and it is difficult for others to see it (Shutterstock)

At some point in the lunar cycle, it is with the sun and the earth on the same straight line and is called the moment of conjunction, and we cannot see it with the naked eye, because the sun illuminates the sky, but astronomers can easily calculate the moment of conjunction for each lunar month and over many decades.

After the moment of conjunction, the moon begins to move away from the sun in the sky little by little, and we cannot see it at first easily because it is close to it, but after about 14 hours from the moment of conjunction, the moon can be seen in the sky with the naked eye after sunset.

Crescent Sighting

According to the International Astronomy Center, the moment of conjunction this year will be at 7:12 am Mecca time on Thursday, April 20, leaving the moon about 11 hours to move away from the sun to reach the moment of sunset.

This period is considered medium and not long so that all Arab countries are expected to see the crescent, nor short so that the controversy is settled in advance and it is said that it is impossible to see it astronomically.

The moment of conjunction this year will be at 7:12 am Makkah time on April 20 (International Astronomy Center)

According to the center, it will be possible for some Arab countries to see the crescent with ordinary telescopes and not with the naked eye, and these countries are Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Mauritania, while for Egypt and Sudan, they can observe the crescent with a telescope in areas located near the country's western borders.

As for other countries such as Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Yemen, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq, it will be difficult for them to observe the crescent with any instruments, whether the naked eye or a regular telescope, because the crescent after sunset on the day of visibility will be very close to the horizon.

Regardless of astronomical calculations, the sighting of the crescent of the month of Shawwal and the announcement of this year's Eid al-Fitr day are subject to what will be announced by the competent authorities in each country through its Sharia committees and crescent sighting committees.