Astronomers Query Moon Sighting over Saudi Arabia

(Guardian-UK) Traditionally Ramadan comes to an end when the new moon is visible with the naked eye. This year, officials in Saudi Arabia announced a sighting on 29 August. However, astronomers have presented evidence to show that the moon was not visible at the time, and that the Saudi officials may have actually been looking at Saturn. Maged Abou Zahra, president of the Jeddah Astronomical Society, told the Egyptian paper al-Shorouk: "The sighting of a new moon would have simply been impossible."


2011-09-06 00:00:00

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