The Jordanian Astronomical Society has warned of the dangers of attempting to sight the blessed Ramadan crescent next Tuesday using telescopes, binoculars, or any traditional optical magnification devices, due to the moon’s extremely close apparent proximity to the sun and the serious risks this poses to eye safety.
اضافة اعلان
Dr. Ammar Al-Sakaji, President of the Jordanian Astronomical Society, stated that astronomical data for Tuesday indicate that the angular separation between the moon and the sun will be approximately one degree or even less in some areas. This is an extremely small value, meaning the moon will be completely immersed in the sun’s intense glare. As a result, it will be impossible to observe it with the naked eye, traditional telescopes, or even professional astronomical imaging equipment, due to the inability to distinguish the faint crescent’s light from the bright sky background near the sun’s disk.
Al-Sakaji added that anyone wishing to observe for research or scientific documentation purposes must strictly adhere to safety procedures. These include using precisely aligned computerized telescopes connected to digital cameras to capture images without looking through the eyepiece, avoiding any direct viewing through a telescope toward areas close to the sun, ensuring the use of certified solar filters when operating near the sun’s direction, or wearing eclipse glasses, while taking all necessary safety precautions.
He emphasized that, based on astronomical calculations, sighting the Ramadan crescent on Tuesday will be absolutely impossible due to the extremely small angular separation and other astronomical factors. He urged observers and hobbyists to prioritize public safety and protect their eyesight, stressing that eye safety is more important than any risky observation attempt.
For her part, ophthalmology consultant Dr. Wafaa Al-Sakaji told the Jordan News Agency (Petra) that looking directly at the sun or near it—whether with the naked eye, binoculars, or a telescope—without solar filters or protective glasses can cause retinal burns, permanent damage to visual cells, and partial vision loss.
She explained that the retina is highly sensitive to both visible and invisible solar radiation, meaning damage may occur without immediate sensation and may only be discovered after it is too late.
She further clarified that under such conditions, the moon is effectively within the zone of strong solar radiation. Attempting to observe it by looking directly through a telescope eyepiece, binoculars, or any traditional optical magnification device poses a real danger to eye safety. Telescopes and binoculars gather and concentrate light, and when directed near the sun, the amount of focused radiation on the retina increases significantly, potentially causing burns and permanent damage to visual cells.
Dr. Al-Sakaji stressed the absolute necessity of refraining from any direct attempt to observe the crescent or the moon under such conditions, except when using certified and purpose-specific optical protective equipment. – (Petra)
