While the Supreme Court called on citizens throughout the Kingdom to investigate seeing the crescent of the month of Shawwal on the evening of Thursday, the twenty-ninth of the month of Ramadan for this year 1444 AH – according to the Umm Al-Qura calendar – corresponding to 4/20/2023, the advisor to the astronomical observatory in Al-Majmaah, the observer of the crescents, the seer Abdullah Al-Khudairi, confirmed, That the factor of clear weather is the most important condition for seeing the crescent of the month of Shawwal on Thursday.
Al-Khudairi added: “An astronomical situation similar to the controversy we are experiencing occurred during this year. In 2004, the entry of Shaaban was announced, when the crescent was sighted on Tuesday, September 14, and it stayed 7 minutes, with a height of 30:1 degrees and an elongation of 33:3 from Jabal Al-Fara in Medina. And in 2016, the crescent stayed on the horizon for 20 minutes, and the Astronomy Center had confirmed the impossibility of seeing the crescent, but human vision took place, and 21 witnesses testified to “sighting the crescent” in Hotat Sudair, Shaqra and Tamir, indicating that the reference in determining the entry of the month is the competent court and its decision regarding that.
Al-Khudairi said: “There will be an eclipse of the sun that will not be seen in the Arab world and will be seen in Southeast Asia, Australia and the Indian Ocean, and the crescent will move away from the sun and set about 24 minutes later on Thursday evening, 29 Ramadan, at the observatory site in Hotat Sudair, and the viewer must start observing the crescent from The 25th day at the end of the month, as he monitors and follows it from the east side, by determining its position and movement towards the sun, before its sunrise, then begins to determine the difference between seeing it every day and the day before it in time and place, then it monitors the sunrise of the crescent on the last day. of the month (day 29), and estimate the distance between it and the sun.
Al-Khudairi pointed out that among the most important conditions that must be met when observing the moon are: a person’s willingness to follow the moon’s movement monthly, visual acuity, knowing the phases of the moon, distinguishing the color of the crescent from the rest of the astronomical bodies that have phases such as Venus, and being in the observation area well before sunset. Seeking help from people to time the time, using visual means and benefiting from specialists in astronomical sciences to determine the location of the crescent, and that the observer be located in a high and level place and far from pollution areas, and the distance estimated at its sunrise on the 29th is taken into account during sunset and is considered to be the distance of the crescent from the sun The moment of sunset, and the observer must know the map of the sky at the moment of sunset; To make sure of the vision. He may use some astronomical programs that determine the location of the moon (the crescent), and by knowing the path of the planets. So that he can locate the crescent.
Ibrahim Al-Alawi (Jeddah) @i_waleeed22, “Okaz” (Riyadh) okaz_online0