Moonsighting for Safar 1431

1431 AH
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The Astronomical New Moon is on 15 January 2010 (Friday) at 7:11 UT. On 15 January it can not be seen anywhere, except may be in Pacific ocean or by telescope in Americas as shown by visivility curves. On Saturday, 16 January 2010, it can be easily seen in most of the world except Australia and New Zealand as shown by visibility curves. In Australia, it is difficult to see, but not impossible, as shown in the world map for 16 January.

Sighting Reports

The earliest sighting of the new crescent was on Saturday, January 16, 2010 in India and Paksitan.

Friday, 15 January 2010:

  • Indonesia:

    1. Not Seen: (Overcast) Ahmad I. Adjie (MCW member) from Bandung reported: Ahmad I.Adjie and team reports that Hilal for Safar was NOT SEEN today 15 January 2010 due to heavy clouds. Will try to sight again tomorrow. 1st Safar will therefore be on Sunday, 17 January 2010

  • Norway:

    1. Not Seen: (Overcast) Milad Ali Ershaghi (MCW member) from Oslo, Norway reported: On Friday, January 15, 2010, sunset time in Oslo, Norway was 3:47pm and moonset time was 4:08pm. I tried to find the moon from 3:55pm until 4:08pm at coordinats of 59.9202 deg N latitude and 10.6997 deg E longitude. The sky was overcast and I was unable to see the new moon.

  • South Africa:

    1. Not Seen: Rashid Motala (MCW member) from Durban reported: The Hilaal was not sighted this evening, Friday, 15 January 2010 in South Africa.

    2. Not Seen: Dr. Abdurrazak Ebrahim (MCW member) from Cape Town reported: The Hilaal was not sighted in Southern Africa on this Friday evening, 15 January 2010. The official first day of Safar 1431 AH will correspond to Sunday, 17 January 2010.

  • Tanzania:

    1. Not Seen: Hamza Rijal (MCW member) from Island of Zanzibar reported: On 15 January, in the tiny island of Zanzibar, I could not see the moon. We have completed 30 days for the month of Safar and Mufti Office declared that the official first day of Safar 1431 will correspond to Sunday, 17 January 2010.

  • UK:

    1. Not Seen: Qamar Uddin from UK reported: On Friday, 15 January 2010 (29 Muharram 1431 AH) many of us from different parts of UK have tried to sight the crescent moon (Hilal) of Safar 1431 AH after sunset, but there were no sighting reports received, as many places were totally cloudy.

  • USA:

    1. Not Seen: (Overcast) Javad Torabinejad (MCW member) from Blacksburg VA reported: This evening (Friday, January 15, 2010), the western horizon in Blacksburg, VA was mostly cloudy and thus I did not attempt sighting the crescent.


Saturday, 16 January 2010:

  • Australia:

    1. Not Seen: Zahid Hafeez (MCW member) from Canberra reported: The new moon crescent was not visible from Canberra, Australia on Saturday, 16 Jan. despite the horizon being totally clear for observation and binoculars being used to find it..

    2. Not Seen: Dr. Shabbir Ahmed (MCW member) Imam of Rooty Hill Mosque Sydney reported: The Hilaal of SAFAR 1431 has not been sighted in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and other eastern states due to cloudy situations on Saturday, 16 January. Although there were a few possibilities in the western states and the weather was very clear over there but no one has sighted the moon. After the confirmation that no one has sighted the moon in any state, the Moonsighting Committee and Majlisul Ulamaa� of Australia declared that the month of SAFAR 1431 will commence from Monday, 18th January 2010.

  • Bahrain:

    1. Seen: Abdul Hameed Haji (MCW member) reported: On 16 January 2010 , Walialaser group and I managed to observe the new crescent of safar. The crescent was easily observed by 10 with naked eye and telescope.

  • Bangladesh:

    1. Not Seen: (very hazy)ABM Ruhul Hassan (MCW member) from Dhaka reported: On Saturday, Jan 16, the sky was not cloudy but very hazy. The crescent was not sighted anywhere in the Bangladesh. 18 Jan is the first Safar in Bangladesh.

  • China:

    1. Not Seen: Dr. Musa�Minhai (MCW member) from Linxia Gansu Province reported: On Saturday, 16 January 2010, I did not see the crescent by naked eye and binoculars at Beijing Time 19:10 to 19:50. The Place of Sighting: latitude:35�38' longqitude:103�13'.

  • India:

    1. Seen: Khalid Umer Maniar (MCW member) from Surat, Gujrat reported: On January 16, 29th Muharram, Saturday moon was sighted and hence 1st Safar 1431 will be on Sunday 17th Jan 2010.

    2. Not Seen in Mumbai, but seen in Nasik City: Mohammed Mohsin Khan (MCW member) from Mumbai reported: Saturday 16 January 2010 / 29 Moharram 1431 in India. Here in Mumbai Sunset was at 06:22 pm and Moonset was at 07:20 pm. So there were 58 mins difference but Sky was cloudy hence Crescent has not been sighted in Mumbai City and in Mumbai Suburbs BUT it was Sighted in Nasik City (200 km from Mumbai). Shahadat came on Monday 18 January 2010. after a long discussion Official Moon-Sighting Committee have officially announced on Monday 18 January 2010 at 2:00 pm L.T (UT+5.5) that Sunday 17 January 2010 was 1st Safar 1431 and Monday 18 January 2010 is 2nd Safar 1431.

  • Indonesia:

    1. Seen or Not Seen: (Not sure) Ahmad I. Adjie (MCW member) from Moluccas, Indonesia (GMT+9) reported: Today 16 January 2010 the hilal was NOT SEEN. Sighting was done at Tamadehe beach, west Ternate Island, The Moluccas, Indonesia (GMT+9). Sky was fairly clear with patches of rain clouds and the Hilal was seen for a moment by two of us but as we could not fully ascertain it was really the moon crescent, our jamaat decided it as NOT SEEN. 1st Safar will still be tomorrow, Sunday 17 January 2010, Insha Allah.

  • Iran:

    1. Seen: Mostafa Fakhar (MCW member) from Esfahan reported: For Safar 1431, on 16 Jan 2010, Mahtab group and I managed to observe the safar new moon crescent from Sofe mountain in esfahan (51:40E, 32:40N). The crescent was easily observed first by binocular and then with naked eye.

  • Jordan:

    1. Seen: Ahmad Abu Zaid (MCW member) from Amman reported: Observations are done at Sunset Time in: Amman Jordan, Saturday, January 16, 2010At Sunset: 16:40 LT Moon Age: Age of Moon: 1 day, 5 hours, 22 minutes the crescent was sighted. However, Official announcement is that for Safar 1431 AH will begin on Saturday, January 16, 2010. Insha�Allah.

  • Kuwait:

    1. Seen: Abdulaziz Al-Sumait (MCW member) reported: I sighted Hilal Safar right after maghrib prayer near Bayan Palace, Kuwait at 17:34 Saturday 16 January 2010. It was thin, so beautiful subhanallah. Sky was clear; horns were at 2:30 and 8:30; sighting lasted until 18:00 without difficulty; Sunset was at 17:12.

    2. Seen: Hussain Khushaish (MCW member) reported: In Kuwait On Saturday 16 Jan 2010 I saw Safer Crescent on the following order Sun disappeared At 17:10; sunset time 17:13. First seen with 20*60 binocular at 17:20; First seen with naked eyes at 17:29 (that's 16 minutes after sunset). Last seen with naked eyes at 18:02; last seen with binocular at 18:04 (that's 15 minutes before moon setting time). The western horizon was clear exept last 2 degrees of haze.

  • Mauritius:

    1. Not Seen: (Overcast) Goolam Tegally (MCW member) from Port Louis reported: Hilal for Safar was NOT sighted this evening Saturday 16 Jan in Mauritius due to overcast sky, even though we completed 30 days. Sunday 17 Jan will be 1st of Safar for us.

  • Morocco:

    1. Seen: Ehsan H. Hajar (MCW member) from Casablanca reported: The sighting of Hilal Safar was seen in Casablanca Morocco, today Saturday Jan 16th 2010, straight after sunset. The Hilal was well visible above the clear south west horizon initially by binoculars and straight after Salat al~Maghrib by naked eye. I have no doubt that Morocco will announce the beginning of Safar being Sunday 17th to coincide with the Mecca Hegiran Calendar.

  • Nigeria:

    1. Not Seen: (Cloudy)Imam Majolagbe Monsuru (MCW member) from Lagos reported: On Saturday 16 Jan. 2010, the weather was cloudy in Ikorodu town lagos Nigeria. We kept searching for the moon from maghrib time, 6:50pm till 7: 55pm, but it was not seen.

  • Pakistan:

    1. Seen: Sultan Alam (MCW member) from Karachi reported: On my request, Today (Saturday 16 January 2010 = 29 Muharram 1431 in Pakistan) many hundred persons (Members of the moon-sighting committees of our institute "JAMIA-TUR-RASHEED" + my friends + their companions) tried to sight the moon all over Pakistan and resultantly nearly two hundred persons easily sighted the crescent at more than 10 places in Sindh and Balochistan as it was expected astronomically. Due to clouds, the moon was not sighted in Punjab and Sarhad.
      Note 1 : Chairman of central official moon sighting committee of Pakistan mufti Munee-bur-Rahman told me on my mobile phone that after receiving the positive reports, he officially announced that 1st Safar 1431 will be on Sunday 17 January 2010 in Pakistan after ending the 29 days of Muharram 1431.

  • Sri Lanka:

    1. Not Seen: Nular Bary (MCW member) from Colombo reported: Today 29th.Muharram 1431 H.(16/01/2010) It was a cloudy evening in Colombo some black clouds was covering the 18 hour old Safar Hilal, I couldn't see the Crescent and no reports from any other parts of the Island seen, so our director of Sri Lanka Hilal Committee Mou. Riyal, declared to complete Muharram with 30 days and start the month of Safar on monday 18/01/2010 "Inshallah"

  • USA:

    1. Not Seen in LA, but seen in OH: Ms. Ruth Jeffery (MCW member) from Baton Rouge LA reported: Because of completely overcast skies, the new moon was not sighted in Baton Rouge, LA, on January 16. However, we have a reliable report of a sighting by one adult in Cincinnati, OH, at 6:00 p.m. on this date.
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