19/04/2025
ISLAMIC LUNAR MOON BULLETIN VOLUME I.
Issued by Rabita Amateur Astronomical group under the auspices of office of the Grand Mufty of Yoruba Land, Bodija, Ibadan.
Lunar calendar,
Shawwal 1446/2025:
1a. MOON PHASE I:
Conjunction, Dark moon or New moon or Astronomical new moon occurs
(Moon goes asleep or travels or follows the sun according to Yoruba, Fulani & Hausa respectively)
at the eastern sky with
0% light i.e. at anytime on 28 or 29 days of every Lunar month
100% Dark 🌑
b. And begins its journey
immediately to the
Western sky on Saturday March 29 2025/ Sabti 29th Ramadan at 11:58am Nigerian time in order to re appear as a new crescent
c. Leaving the age of the
moon (period between
Conjunction or New
moon & the next
magrib, sunset time)
at 6hrs. 58mins
a time not enough for sighting by optical aids (telescope & binocular),
d. As crescent sighting
by aided eyes only possible when 12 -15hrs elapse between conjunction & the next magrib sunset time.
or Age of the moon is
17- 23 hrs at next magrib time for the new crescent to be visible with naked eyes.
e. WONDER SHALL
NEVER END!!!
Throughout, the World, the moon was not sighted by telescope, a gadget that has the capacity of seeing better than naked eyes in ratio:
343 million -1.
Yet, crescent sighting was claimed in Nigeria and Saudi.
2a. MOON PHASE II:
New crescent or silver
moon or young
crescent 🌙 الهلال الأول
Or waxing crescent
الهلال المتزايد
(It is called waxing crescent bcs., it continues to wax stronger i.e. increases in size till 6th or 7th night).
b. The new crescent was
authentically sighted
on
Sunday 30th March/ 30th Ramadan across the World.
3. MOON PHASE III:
Half Moon, 1st quarter with 50% light
التربيع الأول 🌗
occurs on April 5th at 03:14am
4. MOON PHASE IV:
Full Moon or Frost Moon البدر: 🌕 with 100% light occurs on Date: April 13th. Time-
01: 22am
5. HALF MOON PHASE V:
Half Moon, Last quarter with 50% light:
التربيع الآخر 🌓
occurs on April 5th 03:14am.
6. MOON PHASE VI:
a. Waning Crescent:
الهلال المتضائل 🌙
It rises in the eastern sky at 4:37am on 25th April/ 26th Shawwal with 7% light, visible provided the weather is fine.
And on 26th April i.e. 27th shawwal rising at 5:28am with 3% light.
It is only visible if the weather is fine;
b. it is called waning
crescent bcs., the half moon of the last quarter (moon phases v. explained above) continues to decrease in size till it reaches 0% light or 100% dark during conjunction.
================
7. Conjunction 🌑
a. that leads to the end
of Shawwal and
ushers in Dhul Qi'dah
occurs on
April 27th 2025/ 28 Shawwal 1446 at 08:31 pm at the expiration of the 28th day of Shawwal 1446;
b. Age of the moon:
-1hr.37
c. Crescent Visibility
Notes - April 27:
sighting neither possible by optical aids nor naked eyes.
Bcs., the moon is still in the eastern sky 1hr.37mins on April 27th 2025 after magrib, sunset time and not available in the western sky for sighting
d. Crescent Visibility
Notes for April 28th:
Age of the moon at magrib, sunset time of the next day after conjunction on 28th April 2025/ 29th Shawwal 1446 is:
22hrs.23mins and
d. Crescent of Dhul
Qi'dah 1446 is surely
sighteable with naked
eyes (بالعين المجردة)
throughout the World.
e. When age of the
moon is more than
20hrs, sighting is very
possible. particularly,
when it is 23 23hrs &
above, visibility with
naked eyes is very
sure.
If bad weather prevent sighting in your town, surely, sighting will be reported in other region/ State in your Nation or other country of same time zone with yours.
f1. Technical duration of
Shawwal: 29 Days 8
hours 33 minutes.
2. Days of the month of
Shawwal:
March 31 - April 28th
= 29 Days.
1st of Dhul Qidah shall Start on 29th April According to Sharia sighting conditions and Astronomical calculations guides.
