Eid on 30th January, 1998

The subject of Moon Sighting has been debated by the Muslim Scholars for many Years. The general consensus of the public is that Muslims should be able to celebrate all their religious festivals on the same day everywhere in the World. As is evident from scientific data, the different geographical situations would not allow such a wish to be fulfilled.

However this year we have been able to calculate the possibility of new moon being visible and we have found out that at least at 19 major centres, Eid ul Fitr 1418 can be celebrated without any dispute or dissension. Attached is a list of relevent information being conveyed with a hope that at these places Eid ul Fitr can be celebrated on one day i.e. Friday 30 January 1998

Note: It has been our practice that we always try to obtain information about the actual sighting from various places so as to support the scientific prediction. By the Grace of Allah this practice has been helpful and accurate.

These calculations are for Wednesday January 28, 1998.
The Astronomical New Moon is at 0601 GMT

According to the fatawa of Maraje' including Ayatulla al Udhama Seestani, people sharing one horizon (ufooq) can also share sighting of the Moon and thus declare a new month. The meaning of sharing of horizon is to have at least a few common hours in the night. In other words, it means that when at least a few hours of the night are shared they belong to common horizon. Countries falling to the East should be considered among those sharing the common horizon because by the time the moon is sighted in the West, it will be many hours older, eg London can follow Middle East Countries, Pakistan, India as well as East Africa if authentic news of moon sighting is received from there. Countries which fall West of Great Britain, will be able to follow the Moon Sighted in Great Britain provided they share the night.

Most people associate visibility with the age of the moon. The age of the moon is simply the time lapsed since the new moon. Crescent formation depends upon the angular separation of the moon from the sun as seen from the earth. As time passes from the instant of new moon, the moon moves slower than the sun appears to move (because of rotation of the earth). This causes the angular separation between the sun and the moon and the formation of the crescent.

The earth revolves around the sun in an elliptical orbit, with the sun off-center, and the moon revolves around the earth in a similar way. When the astronomical new moon occurs, the sun, the moon, and the earth come in line, and no light of the sun falling on the moon can be reflected to earth. So the moon is dark or invisible. About 18-24 hours after the astronomical new moon, due to the rotations, the sun and the moon have now separated from the same line. The angle subtended by the sun, the earth, and the moon is the "angular separation." Until this angle becomes 7°, no light of the sun can be reflected by the moon to the earth. It is only when this angle is about 10°-12° that the light from the sun is reflected to the earth and a thin crescent can be sighted. (Sometimes, this crescent is very thin and very low on the horizon, so it can not be seen as it disappears in the glare of sun, and therefore is not visible, even though it may remain above the horizon for 20-30 minutes after sunset.)

Another important factor is the moon's altitude above the horizon. If the crescent thickness is sufficient, but it is not above the horizon, then it can not be seen. This happens in the month of September and October in the USA and Europe, when the moon is in the southern hemisphere, and it can not be seen from northern hemisphere. If the moon is above the horizon but close to it within the glare of the sun, then also it may not be visible. A crescent within an altitude of 10 degrees is usually not visible.

For a sightable crescent from any location, the following parameters are therefore most important:

• Angular separation of the moon from sun as seen from earth. (10° to 12°)

• Moon's altitude above the horizon. (above 10°)

It is also a scientific fact that, if the crescent is visible anywhere on earth, it would be more easily visible in all other places to the west of it. (We hear news of crescent sighting in the Middle East, and on the same evening, here in London, some hours later, it is not visible despite clear horizons. This is against known scientific facts. Clearly what was seen in the Middle East could not have been the crescent. Today we are in a position to calculate the dates for possible/impossible crescent sighting. The validity of any sighting claim can be easily verified).