The International Astronomical Center stated that most countries will observe the crescent of the holy month of Ramadan on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. Based on all published crescent-visibility criteria established in peer-reviewed scientific research—including those of the Muslim scholar Ibn Tariq, researchers Fotheringham, Maunder, Bruin, Muhammad Ilyas, the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), Yallop, and Odeh—the sighting of the crescent on Tuesday will be either impossible or not feasible from all regions of the Arab and Islamic world, whether with the naked eye, telescopes, or even advanced astronomical imaging techniques.
اضافة اعلان
Accordingly, for countries that require a valid crescent sighting to begin the Hijri month, Wednesday is expected to complete the month of Sha‘ban, making Thursday, February 19, the first day of the holy month of Ramadan. It is noted, however, that in some countries that apply different criteria to determine the start of the month, the first day of Ramadan could be Wednesday, February 18.
The reason crescent sighting is impossible or not feasible on Tuesday, February 17, across the Arab and Islamic world is that the Moon will set before the Sun in the eastern Islamic world, set simultaneously with the Sun in the central regions, and set only a few minutes after sunset in the western Islamic world—an interval insufficient for the Moon to transition from conjunction (new moon) to a visible crescent by any optical means.
Below are the Moon’s post-sunset durations on Tuesday. Since the crescent—if present—appears at the lower edge of the lunar disk, the calculated moonset times refer to the lower limb (where the crescent would be), not the upper limb, as the objective here is to determine the crescent’s duration above the horizon, not the entire lunar disk.
Jakarta: The Moon sets 6 minutes before sunset.
United Arab Emirates: The Moon sets 1 minute before sunset.
Riyadh: The Moon’s lower limb sets 42 seconds before sunset.
Tabuk: The location in Saudi Arabia with the longest possible lunar stay this month; the Moon’s lower limb sets at sunset. The Moon’s surface age at sunset is 1 hour and 49 minutes, and its elongation from the Sun is only 1 degree.
Amman: Similar conditions to Tabuk.
Cairo: The Moon sets 2 minutes after sunset, with a Sun–Moon separation of only 1.3 degrees.
Algiers: The Moon sets 6 minutes after sunset.
Crescent sighting in all the above locations is not possible, neither with the naked eye nor with telescopes, especially since all are below the global “Danjon limit.” Danjon, a French astronomer, demonstrated that crescent visibility—by naked eye or telescope—is impossible if the angular separation between the Moon and the Sun is less than about 7 degrees, a conclusion supported by reliable astronomical observations. Moreover, crescent sighting on Tuesday is also impossible according to all international criteria, including the Ilyas criterion (Malaysia), the Yallop criterion (former Director of the Royal Greenwich Observatory and former head of the IAU Almanac Committee), the South African Astronomical Observatory criterion, a U.S.-developed criterion, and the Odeh criterion, one of the most recent standards.
Indeed, sighting the crescent on Tuesday is impossible even with the latest scientific techniques, such as astronomical imaging using specialized cameras and advanced real-time image processing software capable of detecting the crescent in daylight. At sunset, the Sun–Moon separation in the best regions of the Arab world is only about 2 degrees—far too small to allow detection even with such technology. Historically, there has been no verified naked-eye crescent sighting at separations below 7.6 degrees, nor telescopic sightings below 6.0 degrees.
Further confirming the impossibility of crescent sighting from the Arab region on Tuesday, the Earth will witness an annular solar eclipse on Tuesday afternoon, visible from southern Africa and Antarctica, occurring around sunset time across the eastern and central regions through western Asia. A solar eclipse is a visible conjunction observed by the public and provides clear evidence that crescent sighting is impossible at that time or shortly thereafter.
Based on these scientific and observational indicators, caution is advised regarding any erroneous claims of crescent sightings on Tuesday; such claims would conclusively indicate mistakes due to illusory observations of non-existent crescents. This risk is heightened by the presence of Venus low in the western sky near the Moon’s position, which may confuse inexperienced observers into mistaking it for the crescent—an issue previously reported by several official moon-sighting committees.
It is also worth noting that many jurists and astronomers consider it unnecessary to attempt crescent observation after sunset on Tuesday in regions where the Moon sets before or with the Sun, since the Moon is not present in the sky at that time. Thus, crescent sighting is impossible from these regions—a fact known in advance through definitive calculations. One recommendation of the Second Emirates Astronomical Conference, attended by jurists and decision-makers from many Islamic countries, stated: “If astronomy determines that conjunction does not occur before sunset, or that the Moon sets before the Sun on the 29th day of the month, then there is no call to attempt crescent sighting.” Jurists affirmed that this recommendation does not conflict with the Prophetic Sunnah of crescent observation, as it applies only to cases where it is known with certainty that the Moon is not in the sky. Among those who advocated such an approach even before the conference was Sheikh Abdullah bin Mani‘, member of the Council of Senior Scholars in Saudi Arabia and advisor to the Royal Court. This approach is already adopted in some Islamic countries that rely on crescent sighting to begin the Hijri month.
On the other hand, some Islamic countries will observe the Ramadan crescent on Wednesday, February 18, as it is the 29th of Sha‘ban for them, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, Morocco, Mauritania, and some non-Arab Islamic countries in Africa. In these countries, the first day of Ramadan will be either Thursday, February 19, or Friday, February 20, depending on the sighting outcome and weather conditions.
Regarding crescent conditions on Wednesday, February 18, surface calculations at sunset are as follows:
Jakarta: Moon sets 40 minutes after sunset; age 21 hours 55 minutes; visible with a telescope and possibly with the naked eye under perfectly clear conditions.
Abu Dhabi: Moon sets 58 minutes after sunset; age 24 hours 29 minutes.
Makkah: Moon sets 59 minutes after sunset; age 25 hours 37 minutes.
Amman and Jerusalem: Moon sets 65 minutes after sunset; age 25 hours 51 minutes.
Cairo: Moon sets 64 minutes after sunset; age 26 hours 11 minutes.
Rabat: Moon sets 73 minutes after sunset; age 29 hours 53 minutes.
Crescent sighting on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, Makkah, Amman, Jerusalem, Cairo, and Rabat is easily possible with the naked eye.
For context, the shortest lunar stay during which a crescent has been observed with the naked eye was 29 minutes, and the youngest crescent age observed was 15 hours and 33 minutes. However, exceeding these values alone does not guarantee visibility, as crescent sighting also depends on factors such as angular separation from the Sun and altitude above the horizon at observation time.
The attached maps illustrate crescent visibility on Tuesday, February 17, and Wednesday, February 18, worldwide, indicating that:
Red areas: Crescent sighting is impossible due to the Moon setting before sunset and/or conjunction occurring after sunset.
Uncolored areas: Crescent sighting is not possible, neither with the naked eye nor with telescopes.
Blue areas: Crescent sighting is possible only with telescopes.
Pink areas: Crescent sighting is possible with telescopes and may be seen with the naked eye under perfectly clear conditions by experienced observers.
Green areas: Crescent sighting is possible with the naked eye.
