Saudi Supreme Court Fixes Crescent-Sighting Night for رمضان 2026
The Supreme Court of the kingdom has designated the evening of Tuesday, February 17, 2026 (ET) for the visual sighting of the new moon that will mark the start of Ramadan 1447 AH. The court renewed a nationwide call for citizens to report naked-eye or telescope sightings to the nearest judicial office or designated local centre.
Court asks citizens to report any sighting on Feb. 17, 2026 (ET)
The court issued a formal notice instructing the public to attempt to observe the moon on the night corresponding to 29 Sha'ban 1447 AH — Tuesday, February 17, 2026 (ET) — and to relay any confirmed observations to the closest court or regional centre. The notice invited volunteers with the capacity to participate in official sighting committees to join local teams, framing the effort as a communal act of worship and public service.
Astronomers predict the crescent will not be visible across much of the region
A number of professional astronomical bodies and national societies have published calculations that make clear observational challenges for the evening of Feb. 17. The new moon's conjunction is timed in the early hours of Feb. 17, and by local sunset for much of North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula the young crescent will have an extremely small elongation and a very low altitude above the horizon.
One regional astronomy group detailed that the moon's conjunction takes place at 07: 01 ET on Feb. 17 and that, for locations such as the capital of Algeria, the lunar crescent would remain above the horizon for only about six minutes after sunset — a window too short and an angular separation too small for reliable naked-eye detection under ordinary conditions. Based on those geometrical constraints, these calculations conclude that the crescent will not be observable with the unaided eye across most of the Arab world and much of Africa; even telescopic detection would be marginal or impossible from many locations.
Another international astronomical advisory cautioned about the practical risks of attempting optical observation immediately after sunset when the moon lies close to the sun. Observers were warned that pointing binoculars or telescopes toward the low horizon near sunset can inadvertently include the sun in the instrument's field of view, posing a significant danger to eyesight. That advisory stressed the importance of experienced, well-equipped teams for any close-to-sun observations and urged the public to avoid amateur attempts that could cause harm.
Practical implications: likely start dates and what to expect
Because optical visibility is central to traditional month-beginning rulings in many jurisdictions, the scientific projections have direct practical consequences. In jurisdictions that base the start of Ramadan on local naked-eye crescent sighting, the inability to sight the moon on the night of Feb. 17 points to the completion of a thirty-day Sha'ban. Under that outcome, many communities would begin fasting on Thursday, February 19, 2026 (ET).
Authorities urging public participation emphasize two parallel threads: first, the legal and religious process for declaring the start of the month remains tied to official sighting channels and judicial committees; second, astronomers encourage relying on established observing teams and avoiding hazardous solo observations near sunset. For worshippers and planners, the coming days will see a mixture of formal court-led procedures and independent astronomical assessments leading up to the regional announcements.
As the evening of Feb. 17 (ET) approaches, communities across the region will balance traditional sighting practices with modern astronomical calculations in determining the opening of رمضان 2026.
