Eid Al Fitr: Why Moon sighting, not Shawwal crescent size, matters in declaring end of Ramadan
To clear any confusion about the Moon's size, Eng Mohammed Odeh Shawkat, Director of the International Astronomy Center, offered a detailed clarification on why the crescent appeared particularly large on Sunday evening, March 30.
He said that the primary reason for this visual change lies in the Moon's movement relative to the sun during the final days of the Islamic lunar month. The crescent is farther from the sun when the Islamic month reaches its 30th day. This increase in distance causes the crescent's appearance to be noticeably larger. "The moon's movement over just one day can lead to a significant change in its size," Shawkat wrote on X.
Shawkat emphasised that the size of the crescent is not directly tied to the validity of the moon sighting; however, seeing it is essential in determining the start of a new Hijri month.
"What matters most is observing the crescent on the evening of the 29th of the month. If the Moon is not visible due to its low altitude and brightness, the 30th day is considered the last day of the month, and the new month begins the following day. On that evening, the crescent will appear relatively high and large."
He explained further, "To illustrate this, take the example of the current month of Shawwal: the Moon set on Saturday ten minutes after sunset in the centre of the Arab world. Consequently, most Islamic countries declared that the crescent had not been sighted and that Sunday was the last day of Ramadan."
Due to the Moon's movement, since the setting time increases by an average of 50 minutes each day, the crescent on Sunday set more than an hour after sunset, appearing relatively large.
Shawkat said, "This does not mean that the beginning of the month is wrong; quite the opposite. The crescent never appears small after sunset on the 30th or the first day of the new Hijri month."
On Sunday, March 30, the Moon set 74 minutes after sunset in Riyadh, 82 minutes after sunset in Amman, 81 minutes after sunset in Cairo, and 93 minutes after sunset in Rabat. This extended visibility caused the crescent to appear much larger than previous evenings.
So, after sunset on Monday, the first day of Shawwal in most Islamic countries, the crescent will be even larger and remain visible for more than two hours.
"It is important to note that this phenomenon is entirely normal and consistent with the natural movement of the moon," he explained.
Shawkat also clarified that after sunset on the first day of the new Hijri month, the crescent observed is actually the crescent of the second night. Therefore, it will appear much larger than what would typically be seen on the first night of the new month.
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