Eid ul Adha 2024, UK, Saudi Arabia and Morocco moon sighting forecasts announced

Eid ul Adha 2024 predictions for the UK, Saudi Arabia and Morocco have been announced as we head towards the start of Dhul Hijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic calendar. This second major Eid of the year – which translates as the Festival of Sacrifice – takes place on the 10th day of the month, unlike the previous Eid ul Fitr.

The first day of Dhul Hijjah will be declared after attempts to see the new Crescent on the 29th day of the current month, Dhul Qadah. With variations between countries and communities as to when the 29th day will fall and whether the moon has been sighted, there will be differences between the dates of Dhul Hijjah and Eid ul Adha, as there were previously for Shawwal and Eid ul Fitr.

A number of mosques in the UK, including the Green Lane Masjid and Community Center (GLMCC) in Birmingham, are following Saudi Arabia’s statements. But many other British organisations, including the Noor TV Moonsighting Board and the New Crescent Society look to the moon locally to declare a date based on a UK moon sighting. This may result in two different dates in the UK. Here are the official moon sighting predictions for Eid ul Adha this year.

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HM Almanac Office, a UK government agency that provides astronomical data for religious organisations, the armed forces and diaries/calendar producers, has provided a detailed insight into the possibilities of obtaining a confirmed sighting.

Astronomers say the new moon rises on Thursday June 6 at 1.38pm BST, but will not be visible in western Europe, northern Africa or the Middle East. It is possible to see it with a telescope in the central and western parts of the US.

Clear sighting of a thin crescent moon forming around the edge of the new moon will be possible with the naked eye on Friday, June 7 in most of the world, while Australia and South Africa may need to use telescopes. The entire globe will be able to see the crescent on Saturday, June 8.

In Mecca, Saudi Arabia, sunset will be at 19:02 on June 7, followed by moonset at 20:14. In Rabat, Morocco, sunset that day is at 8:37 PM and moonset is at 10:07 PM.

In the United Kingdom, Birmingham will experience sunset on June 7 at 9:27 p.m. Almost two hours later, the moon will set at 11:22 p.m. Times elsewhere in the UK should be very similar.

Given these forecasts that the moon will be “easily visible” on June 7 and 8, it is suggested that the new moon of Dhul Hijjah will begin on June 8 or 9, and Eid ul Adha is likely to fall on either the 17 or June 18. .

However, Saudi Arabia’s national calendar, which is used by its government to plan national events and holidays, believes it could be a day earlier and has already marked June 16 as the date for Eid ul Adha. So this means that Eid could land on any of these three dates, depending on the actual moon sighting reports closer to the time and whose statements you align with.

The Saudi statement is traditionally followed by Birmingham’s Green Lane Masjid and Community Center (GLMCC), organizers of the city’s big Eid celebrations. The second Eid of this year – sometimes written as Eid al-Adha and also known as the Great Eid, Bakra Eid, Bakrid, Qurbani Eid, Eid al Kabir and Kurban Bayrami – are also expected to see a large public gathering in Birmingham.

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