Live Eid ul Fitr 2023 moon sighting announcements for UK

This year's is set to arrive this week, as the moon plays a big part in the Islamic festival.

During the Islamic Calendar, the sighting of the new crescent moon marks the beginning of the month. Astronomy is very important for Islamic events and festivals, including Ramadan and Eid.

In total, it takes 29.5 days for the moon to pass through each of its phases. However, it is not practical to have half a day in a month, so in an Islamic month, there can be either 29 or 30 days.

Read More: Warning over exact Eid al-Fitr date as conflicting information could see different celebration dates in UK

Ramadan lasts 29 to 30 days it cannot last longer than 30 days. This means if no moon is sighted on Thursday, Eid will automatically fall on Saturday.

The amount of days in a month depends on when the new moon is visible. How visible the new crescent is varied across the world - similarly to sunset and sunrise times - so not everyone will be able to see it at the same time.

The new moon was 'born' early this morning and astronomers have forecast that its very first faint crescent won't be visible later today in the UK, Saudi Arabia, or North Africa. That would mean Ramadan going on one more day into Friday, and Eid then being on Saturday, April 22.

We'll bring all the latest updates on who sees the moon where and when, if at all, and all the Eid announcements as they happen in our live blog below.