The Sharjah Academy for Astronomy and Space Sciences, represented by the Sharjah Observatory, has announced that Friday, March 20th, will be the first day of Eid al-Fitr (the beginning of the month of Shawwal for the year 1447 AH) in the United Arab Emirates. The academy clarified that Thursday, March 19th, will be the final day of the month of Ramadan, as a new crescent moon will not be visible on the evening of Wednesday, March 18th (the night of the search). This is because the moon will set before sunset in the western part of the sky. The Observatory also noted that the moon will reach its new moon phase in Sharjah early Thursday at 04:24 UAE time. Consequently, the crescent's age will be 14 hours and 6 minutes by Thursday sunset, and it will remain visible for 29 minutes after sunset. These astronomical data are considered 'critical,' making local naked-eye observation of the crescent impossible and difficult even with astronomical equipment, though there remains a very slim chance of capturing it with advanced stacked imaging techniques. While Friday will mark the astronomical start of Eid al-Fitr in the UAE and most Islamic countries, the Observatory explained that sighting the crescent may be possible in some countries to the west due to geographical differences. Therefore, some nations that rely exclusively on naked-eye or telescope sightings may begin the month of Shawwal on Saturday, depending on their specific criteria for confirming the start of the Hijri months.
