Abu Dhabi: Astronomers in the UAE maintain that the announcement of the beginning of Ramadan on Friday, September 22, was incorrect, and that it should have in fact been announced two days later.

UAE Astronomical Society engineer Mohammad Shawkat Odeh and American University of Sharjah Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy Dr Nidhal Guessoum explain that the crescent moon was impossible to see on Friday, September 22.

"The moon had set before sunset, so there was no moon in the sky to be seen," says Odeh. "We have three types of crescent visibility. First is impossible, as the moon sets before sunset, so the object is not in the sky. Second is not possible, which means the moon sets after sunset but it cannot be seen. Third is when the crescent can be seen. On Friday, it was impossible, from all Islamic countries."

The astronomers attributed the mistake to a significant margin of human error, whereby inexperienced observers believe they have sighted the crescent moon. "The crescent was claimed to have been seen in Saudi Arabia, but in such situations, mistakes can easily be made, with people mistaking something for the thin, faint and elusive crescent," says Dr Guessoum.

Odeh explains that on Friday, September 22, Mercury was very close to the horizon, so people could have mistaken it for the crescent. "Mercury doesn't look like the crescent at all," he said. "Nothing looks like the crescent, but if the observer is inexperienced and not an astronomer, they do not know what to see. Sometimes, if you concentrate on the sky for a long time looking for a crescent, you might see one even if it's not there, and this can happen to us astronomers as well."

Dr Guessoum says the sighting of the crescent on Friday, September 22, was a mistake that should have been corrected. "The authority in Saudi Arabia that validated the claim should have realised that it was simply a mistake since all astronomers around the world, including the Saudi astronomers and everyone in the region, said it was impossible; the crescent was nowhere to be seen then. The problem is that the Ulemas or Fuqahas must realise that a testimony by one or more people in such cases is really worth nothing, and that other criteria must be taken up."

According to Odeh, religious authorities in Saudi Arabia confuse astronomy with astrology, the latter of which is not recognised in Islam. "We are not astrologers, there is a very big difference between us and them," he said. "The difference is not clear at all for Muslim scholars in Saudi, so they don't consult with astronomers."

 

[Source: http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/06/10/04/10072189.html]