15/1/2025–|Last updated: 1/15/202511:21 AM (Mecca time)
In Islamic law, specialists from the legal bodies go out to search for the crescent of the Hijri months after sunset, which is the 29th of the Hijri month, but the available astronomical data can give us some knowledge about what will happen on this day.
Moon cycle
To understand the matter, we must begin by understanding some simplified basics of astronomyThe moon revolves around the Earth once every 28 days, and you can easily observe this cycle from your home. Just go up to the roof of your house at the same time every day, and contemplate the position of the moon in the sky. You will find that it changes its place as if it is jumping in the sky day after day, moving away from… The sun.
Now let us hypothetically assume that we can turn back time day after day. This means that the moon will return to stand exactly next to the sun. In astronomy, this is the moment of conjunction.
After the moment of conjunction, the moon begins to move away from the sun in the sky little by little. We cannot see it easily at first because it is close to the sun, but after a number of hours, the naked eyes can see the moon in the sky after sunset.
Visibility standard
The moment of conjunction this year will be on January 29, 2025 at 15:36 Doha time, which is the same as the night of sighting in all Arab countries. This leaves a little time for the crescent moon before we reach the sunset point that day.
This means that it is unlikely that the naked eyes or optical telescopes will be able to see the crescent in this case, given the extreme difficulty in observing it, because it remains for a few minutes in the night sky after sunset, and in some Arab cities the crescent descends below the horizon before or with the setting sun. .
Therefore, it is likely that countries where visibility requires direct observation with the naked eyes or a telescope will announce the next day (corresponding to January 30) as completing the month of Rajab, as it is difficult to see the crescent after sunset, and thus January 31 will be the beginning of the month. Shaaban for this year.