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Ramadan in UAE: Didn't sight the crescent Moon yesterday? How to spot it tonight

The Moon was spotted despite astronomical calculations suggesting it wouldn't be visible

Published: Mon 11 Mar 2024, 6:00 AM

Updated: Mon 11 Mar 2024, 11:55 AM

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Muslims across the country are observing their first fast today, Monday, March 11, as the holy month of Ramadan dawned in the UAE. The crescent Moon — which signals the start of a month in the Islamic Hijri calendar — was sighted Sunday evening.

The Moon was spotted despite astronomical calculations suggesting it wouldn't be visible. If you missed it last night, you can spot the crescent tonight (Monday) without any special equipment “relatively easily” from all regions of the Islamic world, including the UAE. That’s according to the International Astronomy Centre. Just look towards the West about 15-25 minutes after the sun sets. The crescent will be visible “close to where the sun has set” near the horizon for a little more than an hour.


Islamic months last 29 or 30 days depending on when the crescent appears in the night sky. Sighting the Moon to determine the start of the month is a confirmed Sunnah (prophetic teaching).

The start date of Ramadan can vary between different astronomical predictions due to the various methods used to calculate the new Moon's visibility and the specific geographic location considered, an expert told Khaleej Times earlier.

"The traditional practice of moon sighting adds to this variability, as it depends on actual human observation, which may not always align with astronomical models. Ultimately, the confirmed start of Ramadan is based on the physical sighting of the moon, which can affirm or adjust the predicted date," said Khadijah Ahmed, Khadijah Ahmad, operations manager, Dubai Astronomy Group.

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