The new crescent: visibility forecast for Ramadan and the Islamic months
An Islamic month begins with the first sighting of the thin crescent (hilal) after sunset, after the new moon. Whether it can be seen depends on how far the Moon stands from the Sun, how long it stays up after sunset and how thick the crescent is. Here these are calculated for sixteen cities with the two criteria astronomers use most, Odeh's and Yallop's.
This is an astronomical forecast. When a month begins is decided by each community and its scholars: many by sighting the crescent with their own eyes, others by calculation or by following another country's announcement. Dates can therefore differ by a day.
Expected dates
| Umm al-Qura | Diyanet (Türkiye) | FCNA / ISNA | |
| 1 Ramadan 1448 Crescent not visible anywhere on 6 Feb; widely visible on 7 Feb (computed: Yallop A/B in Mecca, Istanbul, London, Rabat, New York; difficult in Indonesia). Sighting- and calculation-based communities should broadly agree on 8 Feb. | Mon 8 Feb 2027 | Mon 8 Feb 2027 | Mon 8 Feb 2027 |
| Eid al-Fitr 1448 Conjunction 8 Mar 09:29 UTC. On the evening of 8 Mar the crescent is computed not visible in the Middle East, Europe, Africa and Asia (Yallop F, below the Danjon limit) and at best marginal far west in the Americas/Pacific. Communities that require a local or regional naked-eye sighting will most likely complete 30 days of Ramadan and celebrate Eid on Wed 2027-03-10. A difference of one day between 9 and 10 March is to be expected. | Tue 9 Mar 2027 | Tue 9 Mar 2027 | Tue 9 Mar 2027 |
| Eid al-Adha 1448 Conjunction 6 May 10:59 UTC. Evening of 6 May: not visible in the Old World (Yallop F), optical aid only in the Americas (New York Odeh C). Evening of 7 May: easily visible. Where a local sighting is required, 1 Dhul Hijjah may be Sat 8 May and Eid al-Adha Mon 2027-05-17. Saudi Arabia announces Dhul Hijjah from sighting reports; the Hajj dates follow that announcement. | Sun 16 May 2027 | Sun 16 May 2027 | Sun 16 May 2027 |
| 1 Ramadan 1449 Not visible on 26 Jan; widely visible on 27 Jan (computed Yallop A/B in Mecca, Istanbul, London, Rabat, New York). Broad agreement on 28 Jan expected. | Fri 28 Jan 2028 | not yet published | Fri 28 Jan 2028 |
| Eid al-Fitr 1449 Conjunction 25 Feb 10:37 UTC. Evening of 25 Feb: not visible anywhere in the Old World or North America (Yallop F). Evening of 26 Feb: easily visible. Sighting-based communities will most likely celebrate Eid on Sun 2028-02-27, one day after Umm al-Qura/FCNA. | Sat 26 Feb 2028 | not yet published | Sat 26 Feb 2028 |
| Eid al-Adha 1449 Conjunction 24 Apr 19:47 UTC, after sunset in the Old World. Evening of 25 Apr: visible in Mecca under good conditions (Yallop B, Odeh B), easy in Europe and the Americas, not visible in Indonesia (Yallop F). Calculation and sighting should mostly agree on 26 Apr / Eid 5 May; parts of South and Southeast Asia may be a day later. | Fri 5 May 2028 | not yet published | Fri 5 May 2028 |
An Islamic day begins at sunset: the first fast of a Ramadan beginning on 8 February is on 8 February, the first tarawih on the evening of the 7th.
The coming new moons
Jumada al-Akhira 1448
New moon (conjunction): 2026-11-09 07:02 UTC
| City | evening of 8 Nov | evening of 9 Nov |
|---|---|---|
| Mecca | – | Moon sets first |
| Cairo | – | Moon sets first |
| Istanbul | – | Moon sets first |
| Tehran | – | Moon sets first |
| Karachi | – | Moon sets first |
| Delhi | – | Moon sets first |
| Dhaka | – | Moon sets first |
| Kuala Lumpur | – | Moon sets first |
| Jakarta | – | D (F) · lag -0 min |
| Lagos | – | D (F) · lag 7 min |
| Rabat | – | Moon sets first |
| Berlin | – | Moon sets first |
| London | – | Moon sets first |
| New York | – | Moon sets first |
| Los Angeles | Moon sets first | D (F) · lag 2 min |
| Sydney | – | D (F) · lag 8 min |
Rajab 1448
New moon (conjunction): 2026-12-09 00:51 UTC
| City | evening of 8 Dec | evening of 9 Dec |
|---|---|---|
| Mecca | – | D (F) · lag 13 min |
| Cairo | – | D (F) · lag 8 min |
| Istanbul | – | Moon sets first |
| Tehran | – | D (F) · lag 1 min |
| Karachi | – | D (F) · lag 7 min |
| Delhi | – | D (F) · lag 3 min |
| Dhaka | – | D (F) · lag 4 min |
| Kuala Lumpur | – | D (F) · lag 14 min |
| Jakarta | – | D (F) · lag 18 min |
| Lagos | – | C (F) · lag 26 min |
| Rabat | – | D (F) · lag 11 min |
| Berlin | – | Moon sets first |
| London | – | Moon sets first |
| New York | Moon sets first | D (F) · lag 14 min |
| Los Angeles | Moon sets first | C (F) · lag 27 min |
| Sydney | – | D (F) · lag 27 min |
Shaban 1448
New moon (conjunction): 2027-01-07 20:24 UTC
| City | evening of 7 Jan | evening of 8 Jan |
|---|---|---|
| Mecca | Moon sets first | C (F) · lag 32 min |
| Cairo | Moon sets first | C (F) · lag 32 min |
| Istanbul | Moon sets first | D (F) · lag 29 min |
| Tehran | Moon sets first | D (F) · lag 27 min |
| Karachi | – | C (F) · lag 28 min |
| Delhi | – | D (F) · lag 25 min |
| Dhaka | – | D (F) · lag 24 min |
| Kuala Lumpur | – | D (F) · lag 27 min |
| Jakarta | – | D (F) · lag 28 min |
| Lagos | Moon sets first | B (C) · lag 40 min |
| Rabat | Moon sets first | C (E) · lag 37 min |
| Berlin | Moon sets first | D (F) · lag 26 min |
| London | Moon sets first | D (F) · lag 29 min |
| New York | Moon sets first | B (C) · lag 47 min |
| Los Angeles | Moon sets first | B (B) · lag 55 min |
| Sydney | – | D (F) · lag 27 min |
Ramadan 1448
New moon (conjunction): 2027-02-06 15:56 UTC
| City | evening of 6 Feb | evening of 7 Feb |
|---|---|---|
| Mecca | Moon sets first | B (B) · lag 45 min |
| Cairo | Moon sets first | B (B) · lag 49 min |
| Istanbul | Moon sets first | B (B) · lag 54 min |
| Tehran | Moon sets first | B (C) · lag 48 min |
| Karachi | Moon sets first | B (C) · lag 42 min |
| Delhi | Moon sets first | B (C) · lag 42 min |
| Dhaka | Moon sets first | B (C) · lag 39 min |
| Kuala Lumpur | Moon sets first | C (D) · lag 32 min |
| Jakarta | Moon sets first | C (E) · lag 29 min |
| Lagos | D (F) · lag 0 min | B (B) · lag 45 min |
| Rabat | D (F) · lag -0 min | A (A) · lag 57 min |
| Berlin | Moon sets first | B (C) · lag 64 min |
| London | Moon sets first | B (B) · lag 66 min |
| New York | D (F) · lag 10 min | A (A) · lag 72 min |
| Los Angeles | D (F) · lag 17 min | A (A) · lag 74 min |
| Sydney | – | D (F) · lag 17 min |
Shawwal 1448
New moon (conjunction): 2027-03-08 09:29 UTC
| City | evening of 8 Mar | evening of 9 Mar |
|---|---|---|
| Mecca | D (F) · lag 8 min | A (A) · lag 60 min |
| Cairo | D (F) · lag 12 min | A (A) · lag 68 min |
| Istanbul | D (F) · lag 16 min | A (A) · lag 79 min |
| Tehran | D (F) · lag 10 min | A (A) · lag 70 min |
| Karachi | D (F) · lag 5 min | A (A) · lag 59 min |
| Delhi | D (F) · lag 5 min | A (A) · lag 60 min |
| Dhaka | D (F) · lag 2 min | A (A) · lag 55 min |
| Kuala Lumpur | Moon sets first | B (B) · lag 40 min |
| Jakarta | Moon sets first | B (C) · lag 34 min |
| Lagos | D (F) · lag 9 min | A (A) · lag 55 min |
| Rabat | D (F) · lag 19 min | A (A) · lag 78 min |
| Berlin | D (F) · lag 24 min | A (A) · lag 99 min |
| London | D (F) · lag 27 min | A (A) · lag 100 min |
| New York | D (F) · lag 34 min | A (A) · lag 98 min |
| Los Angeles | C (D) · lag 37 min | A (A) · lag 97 min |
| Sydney | Moon sets first | D (F) · lag 11 min |
Dhu al-Qadah 1448
New moon (conjunction): 2027-04-06 23:51 UTC
| City | evening of 6 Apr | evening of 7 Apr |
|---|---|---|
| Mecca | – | C (D) · lag 33 min |
| Cairo | – | B (C) · lag 40 min |
| Istanbul | – | B (C) · lag 50 min |
| Tehran | – | C (D) · lag 41 min |
| Karachi | – | C (F) · lag 31 min |
| Delhi | – | C (F) · lag 31 min |
| Dhaka | – | C (F) · lag 26 min |
| Kuala Lumpur | – | D (F) · lag 13 min |
| Jakarta | – | D (F) · lag 8 min |
| Lagos | – | C (E) · lag 29 min |
| Rabat | Moon sets first | B (B) · lag 50 min |
| Berlin | – | B (B) · lag 69 min |
| London | – | B (B) · lag 71 min |
| New York | D (F) · lag 1 min | A (A) · lag 70 min |
| Los Angeles | D (F) · lag 6 min | A (A) · lag 71 min |
| Sydney | – | Moon sets first |
What the letters mean
- A: visible to the naked eye
- B: visible with optical aid, could be seen with the naked eye
- C: visible with optical aid only
- D: not visible
Letters after Odeh (International Astronomical Center, 2004): V from the arc of vision and the width of the crescent at the best time, 4/9 of the lag after sunset; Yallop's q (HM Nautical Almanac Office, 1997) in brackets. Calculated with PyEphem; checked against an independent high-precision calculation (JPL DE421) to a thousandth.