Moon sighting for Eid Al Fitr in UAE: Will Shawwal crescent be visible on March 29?

Countries across the globe are gearing up for the upcoming Moon sighting for Eid Al Fitr, which will most likely be on Saturday, March 29, 2025.

However, the UAE's Astronomy Centre has said that sighting the crescent itself may not be possible in most parts of the world. It provided a map and a general area of where the moon can most likely be seen.

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If the crescent is spotted on Ramadan 29, which corresponds with the Georgian calendar, Eid Al Fitr fall on March 30. If it is not spotted, Eid Al Fitr will begin on March 31.

The centre said, "Sighting the crescent on this day will be impossible in the eastern parts of the world and not possible in the rest of the Arab and Islamic world using any observation methods, including the naked eye, telescopes, and astrophotography techniques."

Khaleej Times previously reported that as per the Dubai Astronomy Group calculation, the holy month is likely to last for 30 days. The Group said that “The Eid crescent Moon is expected to be visible in the UAE on the evening of March 30 with Eid Al Fitr likely commencing on March 31.” 

How does it work?

A partial solar eclipse will occur at midday on Saturday, which will be visible in parts of western Arab nations such as Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. A solar eclipse serves as direct evidence of conjunction and confirms that the crescent cannot be seen at the time or shortly after.

It added, "The crescent may only be visible using a telescope from central and northern parts of the Americas, though sighting will be extremely difficult in the eastern part of the continent, even with a telescope. The crescent will not be visible to the naked eye except in parts of the Pacific Ocean west of the United States."

The map below, shared by the experts, illustrates the likelihood of seeing the crescent on Saturday, March 29, from different regions of the world:

• The red areas indicate where sighting is impossible due to the moon setting before sunset and/or conjunction occurring after sunset.

• Uncoloured areas indicate where sighting is not possible with either the naked eye or a telescope.

• Blue areas indicate where the crescent may be seen only with a telescope.

• Pink areas indicate where the crescent may be seen with a telescope, and possibly with the naked eye under perfect atmospheric conditions by an experienced observer.

Given these scientific and observational facts, any claims of crescent sighting on Saturday should be carefully scrutinised, as they may result from optical illusions or errors by observers believing they have seen a crescent that is not actually there, the experts said.

meher@khaleejtimes.com