First Day's Moon On UK Horizon
The first day’s youngest crescent moon (hilal) appears from different places on the earth each month, moving from east to west, as well as from south to north. Looking at the predicted crescent visibility maps for a whole year, it can be seen that the hilal first appears approximately 6 months on the southern hemisphere and the other 6 months on the northern hemisphere.
When the moon is in the northern hemisphere, it is possible to sight the hilal from the UK horizon, if people make an effort to sight it (weather permitting). However, it should be noted that the lunar year has approximately 6 months that are 29-days and 6-months that are 30-days, which means when the moon is in the northern hemisphere, it may be sighted for 3 months on the 29th day and the other 3 months on the 30th day (in different combinations).
The predicted 29th and the next day of the lunar dates (when the moon is expected to be sighted on the UK horizon) are given below:
Observation Dates (for month)
11 & 12 Dec (Rabi-I)
10 & 11 Jan (Rabi-II)
09 & 10 Feb (Jumada-I)
Observation Dates (for month)
09 & 10 Mar (Jumada-II)
08 & 09 Apr (Rajab)
07 & 08 May (Shaban)
To make a successful sighting of the hilal (even if cloudy), it is necessary to plan the observation effectively with the following considerations in mind:
- 1 Identify a high location where the western horizon can be easily seen (down to ground/sea level)
- 2 Make a note of the sunset position on a clear day with respect to the landscape a few days earlier
- 3 Use the Internet or Mobile Phone Apps to note the sunset and moonset times for the location
- 4 On the above dates, look for the hilal close to the sunset position between the above setting times
After your observation email or texts your result to moonsighting website (positive or negative), so it can be taken into consideration by the UK Ulama when making a decision for the start of the new month, InshaAllah.
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