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Times of Oman
25-05-2025
- Science
- Times of Oman
First day of Eid Al Adha expected to be on this date
Muscat: The first day of Eid Al Adha is expected to be on Friday June 6, 2025 in most Muslim countries, said the International Astronomical Center. The Islamic world will observe the crescent moon of Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 AH on Tuesday, May 27, 2025 AD. The crescent moon can be seen with a telescope in Central and Western Asia, most of Africa, and Europe, and with the naked eye in large parts of the Americas. Since the crescent moon can be seen in the Islamic world on Tuesday, Wednesday, May 28, is expected to be the first day of Dhu al-Hijjah, and Friday, June 6, will be the first day of Eid Al Adha in most Islamic countries. Regarding the position of the crescent moon on Tuesday, May 27, in some Arab and international cities, the surface calculations of the crescent moon at sunset are as follows: In Jakarta, the moon sets 9 minutes after sunset, at an age of 9 hours and 2 minutes. The crescent moon cannot be seen in Jakarta even with a telescope. In Abu Dhabi, the moon sets 38 minutes after sunset, at an age of 13 hours and 29 minutes, and its distance from the sun is 7.7 degrees. In Mecca, the moon sets 39 minutes after sunset, at 14 hours and 17 minutes, and its distance from the sun is 8.1 degrees. The crescent moon can only be seen with a telescope in Abu Dhabi and Mecca. In Amman and Jerusalem, the moon sets 48 minutes after sunset, at a age of 14 hours and 46 minutes, and its distance from the sun is 8.4 degrees. In Cairo, the moon sets 47 minutes after sunset, at an age of 14 hours and 54 minutes, and its distance from the sun is 8.5 degrees. In Rabat, the moon sets 58 minutes after sunset, at 17 hours, and its distance from the sun is 9.9 degrees. Seeing the crescent moon in Amman, Jerusalem, Cairo, and Rabat is difficult with the naked eye and requires very clear skies. To understand the meaning of these numbers, it is worth noting that the shortest period of a crescent that could be seen with the naked eye was 29 minutes, while the shortest age of a crescent that could be seen with the naked eye was 15 hours and 33 minutes. It is not sufficient for the crescent to be longer than these values for it to be seen, as the sighting of the crescent is related to other factors such as its angular distance from the sun and its distance from the horizon at the time of observation.
Khaleej Times
03-04-2025
- Science
- Khaleej Times
UAE: More than 100 drones used to sight crescent Moon for Ramadan, Eid Al Fitr
The UAE used more than 100 drones to observe the crescent Moon that signalled the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr this year. Since the drones did not spot the crescent in both cases, a member of the UAE's Moon sighting committee has called for assessing whether the technology adds value to the process before adopting it as a fixed method for future sightings. 'It would be a loss of money and effort to deploy drones in all future moonsighting efforts if they do not prove to observe more than the other allocated methods can view,' said Ibrahim Al Jarwan, head of the UAE Astronomy Society, said. Islamic Hijri months last either 29 or 30 days, depending on when the crescent Moon is sighted. For instance, the month of Ramadan lasted 29 days as the Moon was spotted on Ramadan 29. Had it not been spotted, the month would have lasted 30 days. Moonsighting in the UAE is a keenly followed event as it determines the duration of official holidays. Islamic festival Eid Al Fitr would have seen a five-day holiday if the Moon was not spotted on Ramadan 29. The process in the country combines several elements, including Shariah and scientific committees, astronomical computerised resources, observation decks, individual testimonies, as well as the newly introduced drones by the International Astronomical Center, sponsored by the UAE Fatwa Council. The drones were flown over Al Khatim area to locate the moon by drawing a square perimeter around it for the observers to focus on, while an additional specifically equipped drone was used to capture a direct image of the crescent. 'This was the first time drones were used for moonsighting in the UAE, and we believe it may have been the first globally, as we have not heard of any other country doing that,' added Al Jarwan. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. Another traditional method in Islamic countries is witness testimonies. 'Individuals who observe the crescent (in the UAE) report to the closest Ministry of Justice office, and testimonies are compared based on details of the crescent's positioning and the direction it is pointing,' explained Al Jarwan. 'If four witnesses provide matching statements, their testimonies are considered by the committee; however, if they give contradicting descriptions, they are dismissed.' The committee also follows the Islamic jurisprudential (Fiqh) principle of moonsighting unification in geographically close countries and adhere to Saudi Arabia's sighting. The majority of Gulf countries follow this principle. Al Jarwan said the committee is in contact with other neighbouring countries such as Saudi, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait. Most of them abide by the unification principle to avoid discrepancies among Muslims and to unify Islamic rituals and celebrations. The crescent moon sighting to indicate the start of the holy month is conducted under the supervision of the UAE Council for Fatwa and with the support of the International Astronomical Center. Observations were carried out from four locations: Jebel Jais, the highest peak in the UAE, located in Ras Al Khaimah; Jebel Hafeet, the highest peak in Abu Dhabi; Al Khatim Astronomical Observatory; and Dubai Astronomical Observatory, as part of a team from the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai. The crescent was also observed from the Sharjah Observatory, affiliated with the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences, and Technology. Representatives were present at the official committee meeting at Qasr Al Hosn, and the crescent was photographed through a telescope after sunset from both the Al Khatim Astronomical Observatory and the Dubai Astronomical Observatory. The same locations and parties were designated for the Eid moonsighting.
Al Etihad
26-03-2025
- Science
- Al Etihad
Abu Dhabi observatory captures image of Seagull Nebula
27 Mar 2025 01:27 REDDY (ABU DHABI)An Abu Dhabi-based observatory has captured a striking image of the Seagull Nebula, located approximately 3,650 light-years from Khatim Observatory, situated in the desert between Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, achieved this after 33 hours of Director Mohammad Odeh told Aletihad that the Seagull Nebula, designated as IC 2177, is a prominent emission nebula positioned along the border between the constellations Monoceros and Canis is a faint constellation to the east of Orion, while Canis Major is home to Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. The nebula's location near these constellations makes it an intriguing target for astronomers and astrophotographers, according to online vast region of ionised hydrogen gas (H II region) is illuminated by radiation from nearby hot, young stars, causing it to glow and making it a notable celestial nebula's distinctive shape resembles a seagull in flight, leading to its popular name.'The nebula region spans approximately 200 to 240 light-years across, with an apparent diameter of about 2.5 degrees in the sky—equivalent to five full moons,' said Odeh.'This nebula region contains several celestial objects with different characteristics, most notably NGC 2327, an emission and reflection nebula embedded with a massive star, forming the 'head' of the seagull,' the observatory director added.'The small blue arc visible to the right of the centre of the image is a bow shock caused by the star FN Canis Majoris, which appears as a bright object near the arc.'The observatory team, led by Odeh, includes Haitham Hamdi, Osama Ghanam, Anas Mohammed, and Khalfaan Al Nuaimi. Al Khatim Observatory is a fully remote and robotic facility operated by the International Astronomical Center. Established in January 2021, it is located approximately 50 kilometres from Abu Dhabi and is registered with the Minor Planet Center of the International Astronomical Union.
Al Etihad
24-03-2025
- Science
- Al Etihad
Venus appears like crescent moon: UAE observatory captures image of inferior conjunction
24 Mar 2025 13:33 REDDY (ABU DHABI)An Abu Dhabi-based observatory captured a rare celestial phenomenon known as the inferior conjunction of Venus on Khatim Observatory, located in the desert between Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, shared images of Venus crescent on X. In a post, the Observatory stated that a team of observers, led by Mohammad Odeh, its director, successfully captured the crescent of Venus at 9.18am on March 23, 2025, during its conjunction in broad daylight.A conjunction occurs when two celestial bodies appear close together in the sky. An inferior conjunction of Venus happens when the planet moves between the Sun and Earth in its orbit.'Venus always appears in phases similar to those of the Moon (New Moon, Crescent, First Quarter, Gibbous, and Full Moon),' the Observatory said in its theory, Venus should be directly between the Earth and the Sun during an inferior conjunction, appearing as a small black dot in front of the Sun's due to the tilt of Venus' orbit, the planet was 8.4 degrees away from the Sun at the time of conjunction. 'As a result, it appeared as a slender crescent,' the Observatory phenomenon was captured using the observatory's main telescope, which has a 14-inch and rainy weather posed a significant challenge to the observation. However, the Observatory said: 'The phenomenon was successfully captured for a few minutes through a gap in the clouds.'Apart from Odeh, the observation team included Khalfan Al Nuaimi, Osama Ghannam, Anas Mohammed, and Sameh Al Ashi. Al Khatim Observatory is a fully remote and robotic observatory operated by the International Astronomical Center and was established in January 2021. It is situated approximately 50 kilometres from Abu Dhabi. It is registered with the Minor Planet Center of the International Astronomical Union
Al Etihad
12-03-2025
- Science
- Al Etihad
Abu Dhabi observatory captures images of a 'witch head' nebula
9 Mar 2025 22:37 REDDY (ABU DHABI)An Abu Dhabi-based observatory has captured an enchanting image of a uniquely shaped nebula, estimated to be 900 light years from Earth. Al Khatim Observatory, located in the desert between Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, achieved this after 39 hours of Director Mohammad Odeh told Aletihad this 'reflection' nebula is situated in the Eridanus constellation, near the famous star Rigel, one of the brightest stars in the sky. The nebula consists of interstellar gas and dust that reflect Rigel's light, giving it a distinct blue appearance.'The nebula's unique shape, resembling a witch's face with a long nose, is a result of interactions between strong stellar winds and radiation from Rigel, which sculpt the gas clouds into their distinctive form,' Odeh said. 'It was one of the most difficult objects captured by the observatory as their mission was marred by aerial pollution,' Odeh witch head nebula belongs to a category known as reflection nebulae, which do not emit light on their own; rather, they reflect light from a nearby 'bright' star. This category of nebulae is very difficult to access for observation, Odeh other type of nebulae, known as emission nebulae, shine on their own, and their atoms are 'excited' by a nearby 'hot' star, leading to self-illumination. This category of nebulae is relatively easy to spot and capture with light pollution filters on the camera, Odeh winter and summer are good times for observing and capturing nebulae, Odeh said. 'But springtime can be difficult for astronomers to capture this unique celestial phenomenon.'When asked about this witch-shaped nebula, he said it usually would have taken 10 days, with an average of four or five hours each day, to capture this image. But with skies not being clear, it took us nearly a month to capture this uniquely shaped nebula, he added.A nebula, which is nothing but gas and cosmic dust, can be a result of the explosion of a star. It could also be the start of the formation of a new star, the astronomer said. Usually, emission nebulae are the precursors of a new star, he said. Al Khatim Observatory is a fully remote and robotic observatory operated by the International Astronomical Center and was established in January 2021. It is situated approximately 50 kilometres from Abu Dhabi. It is registered with the Minor Planet Center of the International Astronomical Union.
