When will Saudi Arabia announce Eid 2023?

Officials in Saudi Arabia are today (April 20) searching for the moon in a bid to declare the end of Ramadan and the start of Eid.

According to astronomical calculations, the first day of Eid ul Fitr would be Friday, April 21, an expert has said. Other data suggests there won't be enough visibilty to see the moon. However Majed Abu Zahra, the president of the Astronomical Society in Jeddah, says it will be possible to see the crescent using a CCD camera.

He added the moon would be above the horizon - at a height of 04 degrees, and the elongation or the angle that separates the moon from the sun is 05 degrees. He said the moon would set 24 minutes after sunset and with all the astronomical rules fulfilled, it would mean they could announce the end of Ramadan and the start of the next month, Shawwal, which begins with the Eid celebrations.

Read more: Live updates of moon sightings for Eid 2023

Saudi Arabia is likely to make its declaration on Thursday afternoon or early evening, between 3pm and 7pm.

However, if the Shawwal moon is not visible to the naked eye until Friday evening, Eid could begin on Saturday. Abu Zahra told the Saudi Press Agency that the moon will be “very easy to see with the naked eye if the sky is clear,” on Friday night.

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