The image was taken when the moon was just five hours old.
Dubai: The International Astronomical Center has released one of the first images of the crescent moon marking the beginning of Muharram 1448 AH, captured in broad daylight from Abu Dhabi.
The image was taken at 11am UAE time on Monday using the centre’s Al Khatm Astronomical Observatory, offering a rare view of the newly formed lunar crescent just hours after the start of the Islamic month.
According to the centre, the moon was positioned 5.4 degrees away from the sun at the time of observation and was approximately five hours and 35 minutes old.
Photographing a young crescent in daylight is considered a notable astronomical achievement, as the moon is often faint and difficult to detect against the brightness of the daytime sky.
Muharram marks the beginning of the Islamic lunar calendar and is regarded as one of the four sacred months in Islam. The sighting of its crescent signals the start of a new Hijri year for Muslims worldwide, giving its observation particular religious and cultural significance.
