UAE Astronomical Centre clarifies Eid Al Fitr mix-up says Eid solely depends on moon sighting

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The International Astronomical Center (IAC) has denied reports doing rounds on social networking sites claiming that Eid Al Fitr will fall on Saturday, April 22. 

The International Astronomical Center clarified that such claims are false.

It wrote on Twitter, “Some media outlets published a piece of news attributed to the International Astronomy Center stating that it announced that Eid al-Fitr will be on Saturday.

“We note that the International Astronomy Center is not an advertising agency, but rather a scientific center that provides astronomical information.

“The original article contained many details showing the conditions of sighting the crescent in various countries of the world, and based on it, the beginning of the month can be determined by the concerned authorities.

“Note that the criteria adopted for the beginning of the month in the Islamic world are multiple, and the sighting of the crescent may depend on non-local places.”

The International Astronomical Center further said that the countries of the Islamic world will investigate the crescent of the month of Shawwal (Eid Al-Fitr 1444 AH) on Thursday, April 20, 2023 AD, and seeing the crescent on that day is not possible with the naked eye or by telescope from all of Asia and Australia, while it is possible using the telescope only and with difficulty from the western parts of continent of Africa and Europe. It is possible with the naked eye with difficulty in the western parts of the two American continents.

Since there is a possibility to see the crescent with a telescope from parts of the Islamic world on Thursday, and given that the conjunction occurs before sunset and the moon sets after sunset in all regions of the Islamic world, it is customary under such circumstances for most of the countries of the Islamic world to announce the start of the month on the next day, Accordingly, many countries are expected to announce Eid Al-Fitr on Friday, April 21st.”

The International Astronomical Center urged members of the public to refrain from taking information from such sites and therefore always refer official government sites for news and laws.