Photo: Crescent moon of Ramadan's final days spotted over UAE skies

Abu Dhabi: The crescent moon marking the final days of Ramadan was photographed earlier on Friday from Abu Dhabi, according to the International Astronomical Center.

The image, captured at noon local time by the Al Khatim Astronomical Observatory, shows the hilal (crescent) of the end of Ramadan 1446 AH at a solar elongation of 16 degrees—meaning the moon was 16 degrees away from the sun at the time of observation.

The sighting, made in daylight conditions, was part of the center’s regular astronomical monitoring.

The center emphasised, however, that the crescent’s appearance in this image has no bearing on whether the moon will be visible to the naked eye tomorrow, Saturday, or on the official announcement of Eid Al Fitr.

Moon sighting committees across the region are expected to meet on Saturday evening to determine the start of Eid, based on local visibility conditions.