Picture used for illustrative purpose only.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The International Astronomy Center (IAC) in Abu Dhabi reported that most countries of the Islamic world will investigate crescent of the month of Dhu Al Hijjah on Sunday, June 18, corresponding to Dhu Al Qi`dah 29, 1444 AH.

It said that seeing the crescent on that day is hardly possible even after using the telescope from the center and west of the Islamic world, and therefore it is expected that Monday, June 19, will be the first day of the month of Dhul-Hijjah in many countries.

Therefore Tuesday, June 27, will be the Arafah day, and Wednesday, the 28th of it, will be the first day of Eid Al Adha.

Engineer Muhammad Shawkat Odeh, Director of the Center, explained that with regard to the position of the crescent on Sunday, June 18 in some Arab and Islamic cities, the surface calculations for the crescent at sunset are as follows:

In Jakarta, the moon sets after 07 minutes of sunset, and its age is 6.5 hours, and in Abu Dhabi the moon sets 29 minutes after sunset, at 12.4 hours, and visibility in Jakarta and Abu Dhabi is not possible even with a telescope.

In Riyadh, the moon sets 31 minutes after sunset, at 13 hours.

He added, in Amman and Jerusalem, the moon will set after 37 minutes of sunset, and its age is 13.8 hours. In Cairo, the moon will set after 36 minutes of sunset, and its age is 14 hours.

In Rabat, the moon will set after 44 minutes of sunset, and its age is 16.2 hours. Riyadh, Amman, Jerusalem, Cairo and Rabat are possible using a telescope only, although it is difficult in the east and center, and requires very clear skies to enable vision.

He pointed out that, contrary to what is common, many Islamic countries rely on their local vision to determine the beginning of the month of Dhu Al Hijjah and Eid Al Adha, and do not follow any other country, and among these countries: Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, the Sultanate of Oman, the Kingdom of Morocco, Mauritania, Turkey, and most Non-Arab Islamic countries in Africa, and given that seeing the crescent on Sunday, June 18, is not possible by any means from the east of the Islamic world, and it is not possible on that day with the naked eye from the Islamic world, it is expected that some of the previous countries will announce that Tuesday, June 20 is the first day of the month Dhu al-Hijjah, and that Thursday, June 29, will be the first day of Eid al-Adha in these countries.