Saudi Arabia calls for Dhu Al Hijjah moon sighting on May 17
The crescent moon may be visible to the naked eye across much of the Islamic world
Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has called on Muslims across the Kingdom to observe the crescent moon marking the beginning of Dhu Al Hijjah on the evening of Sunday, May 17, corresponding to the 29th of Dhu Al Qa’dah in the Umm Al Qura calendar.
In a statement, the court urged anyone capable of sighting the crescent moon to participate in the official moon-sighting committees formed across the Kingdom.
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Meanwhile, the International Astronomical Center said Islamic countries are expected to observe the Dhu Al Hijjah crescent on Sunday, May 17, with visibility forecasts indicating that the moon may be seen using telescopes from East Asia, southern Africa and southern parts of South America, while naked-eye visibility is expected across parts of central and western Asia, North Africa and most of the Americas.
Engineer Mohammed Shawkat Odeh, Director of the International Astronomical Center, said current astronomical calculations suggest that Monday, May 18, is expected to mark the first day of Dhu Al Hijjah, while Wednesday, May 27, is likely to be the first day of Eid Al Adha in most Islamic countries.
He added that crescent moon visibility on Sunday is expected to vary between cities. In Abu Dhabi, the moon is forecast to set 58 minutes after sunset and will be 18 hours and 45 minutes old, while in Makkah it is expected to remain visible for 58 minutes after sunset with an age of 19 hours and 22 minutes.
According to the centre, the crescent is also expected to be easily visible to the naked eye in Amman, Jerusalem, Cairo and Rabat under favourable conditions.
Odeh noted that the date of Eid Al Adha depends directly on the official sighting of the Dhu Al Hijjah crescent moon. If the crescent is sighted on Sunday evening, Monday will mark the beginning of the Islamic month and Eid Al Adha will fall on Wednesday, May 27. If the crescent is not confirmed, the start of the month and the Eid holiday would shift accordingly by one day.
He explained that while the moon’s age and duration above the horizon are important factors, crescent visibility also depends on additional conditions, including its angular distance from the sun and its position above the horizon at the time of observation.
