Will the Ring of Fire eclipse end the dispute over the beginning of Ramadan?
Arabia Weather - The annular solar eclipse began yesterday, Saturday, in the US state of Oregon at 09:13 local time (17:13 GMT), then extended across the states of California, Nevada, Utah, and New Mexico, and at 12:03 local time (18:03 GMT), it reached Texas, then became visible in central and northern South America.
Our Arab region has not witnessed the Ring of Fire solar eclipse, and although this phenomenon did not occur in our region, it aroused the interest of many experts in the field of astronomy, and this event is considered evidence of the accuracy of astronomical calculations , which prompted them to wonder about the reason behind the annual dispute. What happens regarding the beginning of Ramadan.
It is noteworthy that a solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, which leads to partially or completely blocking the image of the sun from the Earth. This phenomenon is annular when the apparent diameter of the moon is smaller than the diameter of the sun, causing the sun to appear in the form of a radiant circle known as a “ring.” "fire."
How does the eclipse relate to the appearance of the crescent moon?
According to Essam Gouda, founder and former president of the Egyptian Astronomical Society, expressing the phenomenon of annular eclipse
“A solar eclipse is the conjunction or alignment between the Sun, the Moon and the Earth, which can be observed, and it marks the entry into a new phase of the Moon, as the crescent of the new month is born after the eclipse.”
Gouda adds that
“Our knowledge of the date of the annular eclipse years before it occurs is testimony to the accuracy of astronomical calculations , but this testimony - which was confirmed on Saturday that the eclipse will occur on time - will unfortunately not be valid months from now, and there will be a difference every year in the date of the beginning of the month of Ramadan.”
It is confirmed that some countries require the sighting of the crescent of Ramadan , although in other months it is according to astronomical calculations. The problem is that the sighting is linked to many factors, including the weather that may obscure the sighting of the crescent. Therefore, it is more effective to adhere to astronomical calculations as long as there is no longer any room for doubting the crescent. Its accuracy.
The head of the Astronomy Department at the National Institute for Astronomical and Geophysical Research, Ashraf Shaker, supports Gouda’s opinion, pointing out that the Egyptian Fatwa House and the relevant authorities in other countries announced in a statement on Saturday (the day the annular eclipse occurred) that Monday is the first day of the month of Rabi’ al-Akhir. Which means that the birth of the new month’s crescent occurs after the eclipse, and the birth of the crescent is the moment when it crosses the line of conjunction connecting the center of the sun, the moon, and the Earth, where their meeting on one line is a precursor to its birth.
He asks in amazement:
“Why did most countries not agree to determine the beginning of this month with the same precision, while they could differ greatly in determining the beginning of Ramadan several months later?”
He points out that with the scientific development in the field of astronomical calculations, there is no longer room for doubt or error. Therefore, there must be uniformity in determining the beginnings of the month of Ramadan based on those accurate calculations that were able to predict the annular solar eclipse on Saturday years before it occurred.
How did the Arab and Islamic world benefit from the Ring of Fire eclipse?
This event is the first annular solar eclipse to pass across the United States since May 20, 2012 , and although the Arab and Islamic world was not able to see this event, it has produced one tangible benefit, which is verifying the accuracy of astronomical calculations related to the beginnings of the Arab months.
Benefits of annular solar eclipse
On the other hand, the United States, Mexico, South and Central America enjoyed watching this Ring of Fire eclipse, and benefited from experiencing some of the natural phenomena accompanying it. A scientific experiment was also planned and implemented during this event.
In a statement issued by Majed Abu Zahra, President and Founder of the Astronomical Society in Jeddah, it was emphasized that there are many benefits that can be exploited during the annular eclipse event. There are tangible changes in the behavior of wildlife , as wildlife reacts to decreased solar illumination, which results in changes in the sounds of birds and insects. In addition, telescopes equipped with special filters can be used to view the stunning strings of solar light known as "Bailey beads" that shine across the lunar mountains, particularly around the moon's north and south poles.
Abu Zahra pointed out that this event was also used to conduct a scientific experiment in the polar region, with the aim of studying the ionosphere layer in the Earth’s atmosphere. This was done using antennas within a network of wireless communications operators to test the strength of the arrival of high-frequency signals as a measure to determine the impact of the eclipse on the Earth’s atmosphere. This study aims to understand the extent to which the ionosphere is affected by solar eclipses, and to know the extent to which these effects persist, which enables us to compare the results with previous and future eclipses.
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