Astronomical report on the conditions for sighting the crescent moon of Muharram 1448 AH

The Islamic world will observe the crescent moon of Muharram 1448 AH on Monday, June 15, 2026. The crescent moon will be visible on that day using a telescope from Central and West Asia, most of Africa and Europe, and it will be visible to the naked eye from West Africa, Southwest Europe and most of the Americas. Since the crescent moon will be visible from the Islamic world on Monday, it is expected that Tuesday, June 16, will be the first day of Muharram in most Islamic countries.

Regarding the crescent moon's position on Monday, June 15th, in some Arab and international cities, calculations by the International Astronomical Center indicate the following: In Jakarta, the moon sets 14 minutes after sunset, and its age is 9 hours and 12 minutes. The crescent will not be visible in Jakarta, neither with the naked eye nor with a telescope. In Abu Dhabi, the moon sets 40 minutes after sunset, and its age is 13 hours and 50 minutes. In Mecca, the moon sets 41 minutes after sunset, and its age is 14 hours and 36 minutes. The crescent will be visible in both Abu Dhabi and Mecca only with a telescope. In Amman and Jerusalem, the moon sets 48 minutes after sunset, and its age is 15 hours and 9 minutes. In Cairo, the moon sets 47 minutes after sunset, and its age is 15 hours and 16 minutes. In Rabat, the moon sets 56 minutes after sunset, and its age is 17 hours and 23 minutes. The crescent moon can be seen in Amman, Jerusalem, Cairo and Rabat using a telescope, and it may be visible to the naked eye in the case of perfectly clear atmospheric conditions.

To understand the meaning of these numbers, it should be noted that the shortest duration of a crescent moon that could be seen with the naked eye was 29 minutes, while the shortest age of a crescent moon that could be seen with the naked eye was 15 hours and 33 minutes. It is not enough for the duration and age of the crescent moon to exceed these values for it to be visible, as the visibility of the crescent moon is related to other factors such as its angular distance from the sun and its distance from the horizon at the time of observation.

The attached map shows the visibility of the crescent moon of Muharram on Monday, June 15th from all regions of the world, such that:

• The crescent moon is impossible to see from the areas shown in red because the moon sets before the sun and/or because the surface conjunction occurs after sunset.
• The crescent moon is not visible, neither with a telescope nor with the naked eye, from the uncolored areas.
• The crescent moon can only be seen using a telescope from the areas shown in blue.
• The crescent moon can be seen using a telescope from the areas shown in pink, and it is possible to see the crescent moon with the naked eye in the case of perfectly clear atmosphere and observation by an experienced observer.
• The crescent moon can be seen with the naked eye from the areas shown in green.