SAASST forecast: Ramadan crescent not visible on Feb 17

February 04, 2026 / 11:45 AM

Sharjah24: The Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences and Technology (SAASST) at the University of Sharjah has issued its forecast for sighting the Ramadan crescent for 1447 AH, based on detailed astronomical calculations by its specialists.

According to the SAASST team, the moon will reach central conjunction with the sun on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at 12:01 PM GMT (4:01 PM UAE time). For Sharjah, surface conjunction is expected at 1:52 PM GMT (5:52 PM local time). At sunset that evening, the moon’s age by central conjunction will be only two hours and 14 minutes, while surface calculations place it at just 22 minutes.

The academy noted that the moon’s centre will set seconds before the sun’s disk disappears, making crescent sightings impossible.

Crescent sighting expected on February 18

Based on these figures, SAASST confirmed that sighting the Ramadan crescent on Tuesday evening will be impossible, whether by the naked eye or through telescopes, not only in the UAE but across most of the Islamic world.

However, by Wednesday evening, February 18, the moon’s age is expected to exceed 26 hours, with an elevation of about 12 degrees, providing ideal conditions for naked-eye viewing if the skies remain clear. Surface calculations for Sharjah indicate similar favourable conditions.

Ramadan likely to begin on February 19

The academy predicted that Ramadan will most likely begin on Thursday, 19 February 2026, in countries that rely on visual sighting. However, some countries may start the holy month on Wednesday, 18 February, based on astronomical calculations.