RIYADH — Saudi Arabia and several other Arab and Islamic international locations are observing the Shawwal crescent on Wednesday to find out the date of Eid Al-Fitr 2026, amid astronomical predictions that sighting the moon will probably be “unimaginable.”
The Saudi Supreme Court docket known as on Muslims throughout the Kingdom to sight the crescent of Shawwal on the night of Wednesday, 29 Ramadan, to find out whether or not Eid will fall on Thursday or Friday.
In the meantime, Riyadh Municipality has accomplished preparations at designated moon-sighting observatories in Tumair, Shaqra and Al-Hariq forward of the commentary.
The Worldwide Astronomy Heart stated that for international locations observing the crescent on Wednesday, March 18, sighting the moon will probably be unimaginable as a result of moon setting earlier than the solar and the conjunction occurring after sundown.
In a press release posted on X, the middle stated Wednesday corresponds to the twenty ninth of Ramadan in a number of international locations, together with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Yemen, Palestine, Lebanon, Sudan and elements of Iraq, all of which can try to sight the crescent after sundown.
Nonetheless, it confused that “the crescent will probably be unimaginable to see from all areas of the world” on that day as a result of astronomical circumstances.
The middle added that Thursday, March 19, will mark the twenty ninth of Ramadan in a number of different international locations, together with Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, elements of Iraq, Oman, Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Mauritania, the place moon sighting will happen that night.
It famous that sighting the crescent on Thursday may also be unlikely in jap elements of the Islamic world and troublesome in central areas.
The Worldwide Astronomy Heart additionally revealed a worldwide visibility map exhibiting that crescent sighting is unimaginable in areas marked in purple as a result of moon setting earlier than sundown.
In blue areas, sighting is simply attainable utilizing telescopes, whereas in pink zones it might be seen with telescopes and presumably with the bare eye underneath ideally suited circumstances.
In inexperienced areas, the crescent could also be seen to the bare eye, whereas in unshaded areas sighting stays unlikely regardless of the moon setting after sundown.
Earlier, 28 international locations, together with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Yemen, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine, Sudan, Somalia and elements of Iraq, started Ramadan on February 18, whereas others, together with Jordan, Oman, Morocco, Syria, Egypt, Algeria, Libya and Tunisia, began fasting a day later.
This distinction implies that for some international locations, Thursday, March 19, will mark the twenty ninth day of Ramadan, doubtlessly resulting in variations within the date of Eid Al-Fitr relying on moon sighting.
