The International Astronomy Center issues an astronomical report on the conditions for sighting the Eid al-Fitr crescent moon for 1446 AH.

Arab Weather - Engineer Muhammad Shawkat Odeh, Director of the International Astronomy Center, said that most countries will observe the crescent moon of Shawwal (Eid al-Fitr 1446 AH) on Saturday, March 29, 2025 AD, and seeing the crescent moon on that day is impossible from the eastern part of the world, and it is not possible from the rest of the Arab and Islamic world using all means of observation, including the naked eye, telescopes, and astronomical photography technology as well, while it is possible using a telescope only from the center and north of the American continent, with the vision being very difficult from the eastern part of the American continent even using a telescope, and there is no possibility of seeing the crescent moon with the naked eye except from the Pacific Ocean regions west of the United States.

Regarding the position of the crescent moon on Saturday, March 29, in some Arab and international cities, the surface calculations of the crescent moon at sunset are as follows:

In Jakarta, the moon sets six minutes before sunset, making it impossible to see the crescent moon in Indonesia and its environs due to the lack of a moon in the sky. In Muscat, the moon sets 5 minutes after sunset, at an age of 1 hour and 48 minutes, and its distance from the sun is only 1.5 degrees. In Mecca, the moon sets 8 minutes after sunset, at an age of 3 hours and 28 minutes, and its distance from the sun is only 2.2 degrees. In Amman and Jerusalem, the moon sets 11 minutes after sunset, at an age of 3 hours and 55 minutes, and its distance from the sun is only 2.3 degrees. In Cairo, the moon sets 11 minutes after sunset, at an age of 4 hours and 17 minutes, and its distance from the sun is only 2.4 degrees. In Rabat, the moon sets 19 minutes after sunset, at an age of 8 hours and 5 minutes, and its distance from the sun is only 3.8 degrees. In Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, the moon sets 24 minutes after sunset, its age is 6 hours and 49 minutes, and its distance from the sun is only 3.5 degrees.

Sighting the crescent moon in all the aforementioned regions is not possible with the naked eye or using a telescope , especially since they are all below the international "Dangon" limit. A French scientist, he demonstrated that seeing the crescent moon with the naked eye or with a telescope is not possible if the moon's distance from the sun is less than about seven degrees, a view supported by reliable astronomical observations of the crescent moon. Furthermore, seeing the crescent moon is also not possible according to all known international standards, including the Elias criterion, a Malaysian astronomer specializing in crescent sighting; the Yallop criterion, the former director of the Greenwich Observatory and former chairman of the International Astronomical Union's Committee on Astronomical Constellations; the South African Astronomical Observatory criterion, a standard developed by two astronomers in the United States; and the Odeh criterion, the most recent of the current standards.

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 .

For countries that require the correct sighting of the crescent moon, Ramadan is expected to last 30 days and Eid al-Fitr is expected to fall on Monday, March 31. However, given that the conjunction occurs on Saturday, March 29, before sunset, and that the moon sets after sunset in the central and western parts of the Islamic world, it is customary under such circumstances for some countries to declare the beginning of Ramadan the following day. Therefore, it is not unlikely that some countries will declare Eid al-Fitr on Sunday, March 30.

Indeed, seeing the crescent on Saturday, March 29, is not possible even using the latest scientific technology for crescent observation, which is astronomical photography using a CCD camera, which can see the crescent even in broad daylight due to its superior power. The moon’s distance from the sun at sunset on Saturday ranges between 1.5 degrees in the eastern regions of the Arab world to nearly three degrees in the west. These values do not allow the crescent to be seen even using this technology. As for the naked eye, it has not been proven throughout history that the crescent was seen correctly when its distance from the sun was less than 7.6 degrees, and using a telescope, it has not been proven to be seen at less than 6.0 degrees.

To confirm the impossibility of seeing the crescent moon on Saturday from the Arab region, the Earth will witness a partial solar eclipse at noon on Saturday, visible from parts of the western Arab world, such as Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. A solar eclipse is a visual conjunction observed by people with their own eyes, providing evidence that the crescent moon cannot be seen at that time or for a few hours afterward.

Based on the above scientific and physical evidence observed with the naked eye on Saturday, one must be aware of any false reports that may be made on that day. If they are reported, they will unequivocally confirm the error that some people may fall into when they imagine seeing a crescent moon that does not exist in the sky.

To learn about the results of crescent observations, please visit the website of the Islamic Crescent Sighting Project of the International Astronomical Center (IAC) at www.AstronomyCenter.net . The project was established in 1998 and currently has more than 1,500 members, including scientists and those interested in crescent observation and calendar calculations. The project encourages those interested in crescent observations around the world to send their observation results to the project via its website, where they are subsequently published after being verified and scrutinized .

The possibility of seeing the Shawwal crescent

The attached map shows the possibility of seeing the Shawwal crescent on Saturday, March 29, from all regions of the world, so that :

1. It is impossible to see the crescent moon from the areas in red because the moon sets before sunset and/or because the topocentric conjunction occurs after sunset .
2. The crescent moon cannot be seen with a telescope or the naked eye from uncolored areas .
3. The crescent moon can only be seen using a telescope from the areas located in the blue color .
4. The crescent moon can be seen through a telescope from the areas in magenta. It can also be seen with the naked eye if the atmosphere is completely clear and the observer is experienced .
5. The crescent moon can be seen with the naked eye from the areas highlighted in green.

Sources:

Engineer Mohammed Shawkat Odeh, Director of the International Astronomy Center