Eng. Majed Abu Zahra, head of the Jeddah Astronomical Society, explained that astronomical calculations indicate that the moon will reach the conjunction phase for the month of Safar 1448 AH on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 12:43 PM Mecca time. This is the moment when the moon transitions from west of the sun to east of it, astronomically announcing the start of a new lunar conjunction month.

Abu Zahra stated that the sun will set on the Mecca horizon at 7:07 PM, while the moon will be at an altitude of two degrees above the western horizon, with an angular elongation of three degrees, and an illumination percentage not exceeding 0.1% of its disk. He noted that it will set at 7:25 PM, i.e., 18 minutes after sunset, fulfilling the astronomical computational conditions for the start of the lunar month.

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He added that after the conjunction moment, the moon enters the crescent phase, gradually moving away from the sun's glare, with increasing elongation and altitude above the horizon, which improves the chances of sighting it in the following days.

He noted that the evening of Wednesday, July 15, 2026, will see better conditions for sighting the crescent, as it will appear at an altitude of about 13 degrees above the western horizon, with an angular elongation of 16 degrees, while the illumination of its disk rises to 2.2%. He pointed out that the crescent will remain in the sky until 8:15 PM, i.e., one hour and eight minutes after sunset, making it easily visible to the naked eye in most parts of the Arab world.

The head of the Jeddah Astronomical Society confirmed that, based on this data, it is astronomically expected that Wednesday, July 15, 2026, will be the first day of Safar 1448 AH.

Abu Zahra concluded by emphasizing that astronomical calculations are highly accurate in determining the moon's positions and phases, but the official announcement of the start of Hijri months in Saudi Arabia remains the responsibility of the official authorities concerned with sighting the crescent and announcing its confirmed visibility.