Moonsighting for Muharram 1429

1429 AH
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The Astronomical New Moon is on January 8, 2008 (Tuesday) at 11:37 Universal Time or GMT (i.e., 6:37 am EST, and 3:37 am PST). It will not be visible on January 8, except in very few Ploynesian Islands in the South Pacific. On January 9, it will be visible all over the world except Russia and Northern Europe, Insha-Allah.

Sighting Reports
January 8, 2008 (Tuesday):

No sighting reports expected. The following are the non-sighting reports:

Hamza Rijaal (MCW member) from Island of Zanzibar, Tanzania reported: Not Seen
No Hilal was visible on January 8 here at Zanzibar. I was not able to see this crescent because of some clouds above horizon. Therefore in Zanzibar we have completed the month of Dhul-Hijja for 30 days, First of Muharram falls on Thursday, 10 January 2008.

Abdur Razak Kassam from Malawi reported: Not Seen
The Hilaal was not sighted anywhere in Malawi on January 8. 1st Muharram corresponds to Thursday 10/1/08.

Rashid Motala (MCW member) from Durban, S. Africa reported: Not Seen
The crescent moon for Muharram was not sighted this evening, January 8, in South Africa. Thursday will be the 1st Muharram.

Dr. Abdurrazak Ebrahim (MCW member) from Cape Town, S. Africa reported: Not Seen
The Muharrum Hilaal was not sighted anywhere in Southern Africa on this Tuesday evening, 08 January 2008. The lunar month of Dhul Hijjah will therefore be extended to a 30 day month. The official first day of Muharrum 1429 AH will correspond to Thursday, 10 January 2008.



January 9, 2008 (Wednesday):

Manzoor A Mian from Melbourne Australia reported: Not Seen
Crescent sighting was not observed in Melbourne on Jan 9, 2008 despite lot of effort although horizon was clear. I got late night news from Western Australia that the crescent was sighted tonight 9th January, 2008 in Perth. Therefore tomorrow 10th January is the 1st day of Muharram of the Hijri Year 1429 in Australia according to Australian moonsighting.

Dr. Shabbir Ahmed (MCW member), Imam of Rooty Hill Mosque, Sydney reported: Seen
On January 9, the Hilaal of MUHARRAM UL HARAAM 1429 has been sighted in Perth. The moon-sighting committees of Australia and Majlis ul Ulamaa of Australia have declared that the month of MUHARRAM will start from Thursday, 10th January 2008.

Mutoha Arkanuddin, of Indonesian Crescents Observation (ICO) reported: Seen w/Binoculars
From Parangkusumo Beach near Yogyakarta, Indonesia I and Jogja Astro Club member Br. Gustria tried to see the crescent for Muharram 1429 AH. Alhamdulillah, we saw the Muharram crescent this day, 9th January! It's the first time for me to have seen the crescent under 24 hours moon age. But it's only seen with my 7x50 binoc fixed on tripod and other 7x35 binoc handheld. The crescent not seen by naked eye when I tried. It's the lucky crescent because it was very thin and beside the big clouds. It was seen about 1 minute at 18:27 LT and moon altitude approximately 4� above horizon. According to my brunton compass it's an azimuth 249� magnetic. Indonesia declare that the first day of Muharram 1429 AH begins on Thursday, 10th January 2008. Happy Islamic New Year for all Moslems. More: http://rukyatulhilal.org.

Mr. Ahmad I. Adjie (MCW member) from Bandung, Indonesia reported: Seen
The hilal was fairly easy to see on 9th January 2007, seen by two men including myself, although the horizon was partially cloudy and the clouds were not fast-moving (which makes sighting easier because the moon is static in respect to the clouds). The clouds was so slow-moving (almost static) that the hilal was faster-moving relative to the clouds (hilal setting). At first the hilal was seen fairly high up on the horizon, very thin crescent, but very illuminated and defined, almost clean white in color, then 2-3 minutes later it was much more difficult to see because the crescent became redder which almost matches the background cloud's colors. Therefore, for most of us in Indonesia who follow the sighting at maghrib way, the 1st of Muharram starts maghrib 9 January 2008, i.e., to 10 January 2008 at daytime.

Dr. Ali B Panda from Marawi City, Philippines reported: Cloudy
I wish to inform you that It was impossible to see the crescent moon on Jan 9th, 2008 in Marawi City, Philippines due to heavy clouds. Hence, I and my students at the King Faisal Center for Islamic and Arabic Studies, Mindanao State University in Research, could not see the crescent moon.

K.A.M. Azizul Huq (MCW member) from Dhaka Bangladesh reported: Not Seen
On Wednesday, 9th January,08 the sun sets at 5.28pm local time. After Magrib prayer, I was on the top of 18-storied building to observe the Crescent Moon. The western horizon was hazy with light cloud. Till 6.00pm I was on the place to see by naked eyes and with the help of binoculars, there was no sign of Crescent moon. There was no sighting report from "Moon Observation Committee of Islamic Foundation" as such 10th January will be 30th Zilhaj-1428 here in Bangladesh.

Shahid Qureshi (MCW member) from Karachi, Pakistan reported: Seen w/Binoculars
Today Wednesday, January 9, 2008 we at Institute of Space & Planetary Astrophysics, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan, tried to see the new crescent using a binocular. We could see very thin crescent around quarter of a circle and two degrees below Mercury at around 6:35 pm local time. It remained visible only for half a minute and faided into the polluted atmosphere close to the horizon. We could not take a picture. The crescent could not be seen with naked eye.

Sultan Alam (MCW member) from Karachi, Pakistan reported: Not Seen
We were 7 persons. All were scholars and students of our institute. We tried our best to sight the moon by naked eyes on Wednesday 9 January 2008 from the 4th floor of our institute situated in Nazimabad 4, Karachi, Pakistan at the exact place of crescent according to the moon data from 17:30 to moonset i.e. 18:50 but we could not see. There was about 5 degree pollution on the western horizon, generally all sky was clear. Some other scholars of our institute ("JAMIATUR-RASHEED'' situated in Ahsanabad, Karachi, Pakistan) tried to see the moon according to the moon data but they also did not see. Many members of personal moonsighting committees of our institute "JAMIATUR-RASHEED'' reported from Battal and Abbotabad etc. that it was very much cloudy there from many days, therefore they could not see the moon. Chairman of central governmental moonsighting committee of Pakistan told me on my personal mobile number at 19:30 that because he did not receive the reports of moon sighting from all over the Pakistan, therefore he has officially announced that 1st Muharram 1429 will be on Friday 11 January 2008 in Pakistan after completing the 30 days of Zil-Hajjah 1428.

Zubair Ahmed Siddiqui (MCW member) from Karachi, Pakistan reported: Cloudy: Not Seen
On 09-01-2008, reports were recieved from more than 40 cities that the Moon is NOT SIGHTED at any where in Pakistan. Although all the astronomical parameters were favourable, but the only reason was the "Bad Weather". Most of the places were cloudy or partially cloudy, and it was raining at some places as well. Hence First day of Muharram 1429 AH will be Friday 11-01-2008.

Abdulaziz Jassim Al-Sumait, Bayan, Kuwait reported: Seen
On January 9th 2008 Wednesday the Hilal of Muharam Al-haram 1429 had been seen by me and group of youths right after Maghrib Prayer (fifteen minutes after sunset ; 17:20 Kuwait Local Time) for about 10 minutes with the aid of binoculars first, then by the naked eye. It was very sharp and illuminated. At 17:30 clouds ubscured the crecent.

Hussain Khushaish (MCW member) from Kuwait reported: Seen
In Kuwait at Kabad desert On Wednesday 9 Jan 2008 I and a group of 12 persons could sight the crescent only with 8" telescope and 20*60 binocular in the following order :sun disc disappeared at 17:05,sunset at 17:09,first seen with 8" telescope aligned with gps previous night 17:15,first seen with binocular at 17:28,last seen with binocular & telescope at 17:40,moon set at 17:04.So I did not see the crescent the last 24 minutes of its lag .Mars was seen immediatly clearly .The crescent was seen easily with binocular with the help of mercury below it directly as seen in the photos.the weather was clear exept from haze last 2~3 degeees otherwise ther was a good chance to see the crescent with naked eyes .

Alireza Mehrani (MCW member) from Esfahan Iran reported: Cloudy
Date: January 9, 2008: Weather condition: The western horizon was total cloudy. Observation result: Not seen

Neria Haroeh (MCW member) from Ramlah Israel reported: Cloudy
It was impossible to see the moon on Jan. 9th 2008 from Jerusalem, Israel, duo to heavy clouds.

Goolam Tegally (MCW member) from Port Louis Mauritius reported: Seen
Due to bad weather conditions prevailing over the island, Hilal was not sighted either evening of Tuesday 8 Jan nor Wednesday 9 Jan 2008. 1st Muharram 1429 will be Thursday 10 January 2008.

Ibrahima Thierno LO (MCW member) from Dakar, Senegal reported: Seen
I have seen the crescent moon myself in Dakar (exactly in YOFF place), Wednesday 9 January, at 19:25 by naked eyes. It was very easy to see it. I was the first person who inform the responsable of the national commission of crescent moon. The moon was seen by other friends in Louga (200 km from Dakar), in Ourossogui (700 km from Dakar) and in many provinces in Senegal . The official day annonced by the national commission of crescent moon in Senegal is Thursday 10 January 2008.

Abdul hamid from Hamden, CT reported: Seen
On Jan. 9, 2008, three of us saw the moon first with binoculars and then also with naked eye.

Mohamedraza H.Janmohamed (MCW member) from Sanford, Florida reported: Seen
New Moon was sighted in Orlando as well, on Wednesday, January 09. 2008 � Dhulhijjah 29. Therefore, the FIRST DAY of Mahe Muharram 1429 AH is established as THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2008.

Musaddaq and Huda Ali from Port Saint Lucie, Florida reported: Seen
Me and My wife sighted the new moon in Port Saint Lucie, Florida.

Khalid Shaukat (MCW member) from Metro Area of Washington DC reported: Seen
I saw the crescent, today, January 9, 2008, around 5:35 pm from Silver Spring, Maryland (Sub-urban area of Washington DC.

Mohammed Aslam from Gaithersburg, Maryland reported: Seen
Today, Jnuary 9, 2008, Imam Jamil Dasti, Br. Hasan Khan, myself and many others at Islamic Center of Maryland Witnessed the hilaal of Muharram right in front of our masjid. Subhaanallah, beautiful sight.

Reza Shan Zaveri from Houston, Texas reported: Seen
My three family members and I have just spotted the 2% moon on the night of January 9, 2008.

Clay Chip Smith (MCW member) from Austin, Texas reported: Seen
Tuesday 1428 Dhul Hijjah 29 (2008 January 8) in Austin failed to see the Hilal -- it was too cloudy. So, we are counting 30, and Thursday is the 1st of Muharram. Nevertheless, we made note of the Hilal being sighted a few degrees south of sunset on Wednesday at inclination of 7.5 degrees at 18:22 (sunset was at 17:46 and moonset was anticipated at 19:06 in Austin). The Hilal was first observed at 18:12 and was visible for about 20 minutes before ducking behind clouds. The horns of the Crescent were at 7 and 2. Three people including myself reported seeing the Hilal in Austin.

Milad Ali Ershaghi (MCW member) from Claremont, California reported: Seen
Local sunset time was 4:58 p.m. and moonset time was 6:20 p.m. I first sighted the moon at 5:40pm in the city of Bloomington while driving in my car, heading westward on the 10 freeway from Redlands. The weather was overcast, but it was still possible to see the moon from 5:40pm to 5:50pm. By 5:58pm, the moon had disappeared. When the moon was visible, its elbows were at 3 o'clock and 6 o'clock, at an azimuth of 250 degrees relative to magnetic north.

Ms. Mary Singer from Spokane, Washington reported: Snowing: Not Seen
January 9, 2008 / The new crescent was not seen from Spokane, WA. Snowing.


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