Abu Dhabi - New moon of the lunar month of Shawwal shall be monitored after sunset on June 14, Thursday.
Published: Fri 8 Jun 2018, 5:58 PM
Updated: Sat 9 Jun 2018, 12:07 PM
Most Muslim countries will be sighting Shawwal moon on Thursday, June 14, the International Astronomy Centre in Abu Dhabi said on Wednesday.
This means that Eid Al Fitr will be celebrated on June 15, marking the first day of the three-day celebration.
In the UAE, the moon will most likely be difficult to see with the naked eye when it sets around 41 minutes after sunset.
The crescent moon will be visible by telescope in east and southeast Asian countries and Europe, the astronomy centre said.
In most of the Arab world, the crescent moon cannot be easily seen with the naked eye except for in the far western regions of southern Morocco, Mauritania, and west Africa.
Most of the Americas will be able to see the crescent moon by naked eye.
The moon will set after the sun by around 54 minutes in Nouakchott, Mauritania; 49 minutes after sunset in Rabat, Morocco; 46 minutes in Mogadishu, Khartoum, Tripoli and Algiers; 45 minutes in Djibouti and Tunis; 44 minutes in San'aa; 43 minutes in Cairo; 42 minutes in Riyadh and Amman and Jerusalem; 41 minutes in Beirut, Damascus, Manama and Abu Dhabi; and 40 minutes after sunset in Baghdad, Kuwait and Muscat.
Earlier, the Sharjah Center for Astronomy had said that the new moon of the lunar month of Shawwal was expected to appear on Wednesday, June 13 at around 11.43pm UAE time, according to Ibrahim Al Jarwan, deputy director general.
"It shall be monitored after the sunset of Thursday, June 14, and be definitely seen on Friday, June 15, and that will be the first day of Eid Al Fitr as per the astronomical calculations."
Al Jarwan said the temperature is expected to be around 41°C during June, while the minimum temperature is expected to reach 26.
"The region shall be affected by hot winds every 10 days to 14 days, with temperatures going up to 3-5 degrees above normal for 2-5 days during the summer months from June to the end of August."
Earlier, the centre had predicted that the Holy Month of Ramadan would fall on May 17, while fasting hours are to exceed 13 hours a day.
"The new moon of the Holy Month of Ramadan is to be 'born' on Tuesday, May 15 around 3.48 pm UAE time, and disappears two minutes before sunset of the same evening."
It is impossible to see the new moon after the sunset in the UAE, he added. "It shall remain visible for one hour and 16 minutes at sunset."
However, the new moon shall for sure be visible after the sunset of Wednesday May 16, he stated. "As such, Thursday, May 17, shall be the first day of Ramadan as per the astronomical calculations."
The fasting period will last 13.25 hours at the beginning of Ramadan, he noted. "Fasting hours shall then increase to 13.42 hours and reach 15 hours by the end of the month."
With inputs from WAM and Ahmad Shabaan
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