Warning: Observing the Ramadan crescent with the naked eye may cause blindness!

The International Astronomy Center issued a strongly worded scientific warning regarding the conditions for sighting the crescent moon of the holy month of Ramadan for the year 1447 AH, confirming that it is impossible to see it on Tuesday, February 17, from all regions of the Arab and Islamic world, whether with the naked eye, with a telescope, or even using advanced astronomical imaging techniques.

The International Astronomy Center explained that the main reason is that the moon will set before, with, or a few minutes after the sun in most Islamic regions, which does not allow enough time for it to transition from the new moon phase to the visible crescent phase, based on a wide range of sound scientific criteria published in international research.

High risk of looking at the crescent moon with the naked eye

The most serious warning was directed by the center to astronomical observatories and observers in the Arabian Peninsula and similar regions, as it confirmed that pointing telescopes or binoculars towards the moon’s position very close to the sun is a great risk that may lead to permanent or temporary blindness for the observer, because looking directly at the sun, even if the moon is close to it, causes serious damage to the eye, noting that professional astronomical observatories do not undertake such attempts for the same reason.

The center also warned of the possibility of a dangerous mix-up between the crescent moon and the bright planet Venus, which will be close to the moon's position in the western sky, something that has happened before in some official committees, causing false testimonies.

Sighting the Ramadan crescent on Tuesday evening is impossible.

The center predicted that sighting the crescent moon on Tuesday would be completely impossible in the main Arab and Islamic regions, as in Riyadh the moon sets only 42 seconds before the sun, and in Tabuk it sets almost with the sun, and only one degree after the sun, considering that to be much less than the scientific limits of sighting 7.6 degrees for the naked eye, 6 degrees for the telescope.

The center explained that, based on this, Wednesday will be the last day of Sha’ban in most countries that require a correct sighting, with the possibility of seeing the crescent moon in some countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, Morocco, Mauritania, or the beginning of Ramadan in other countries.

The center predicted that Thursday, February 19, would be the first day of Ramadan in most Arab and Islamic countries that rely on the legitimate sighting, with the possibility of seeing the crescent with the naked eye in areas such as Mecca, Abu Dhabi, Amman, Cairo, and Rabat, as the moon would be 25-29 hours old and at a suitable angular distance.