By IANS,
Kuwait : The Islamic holy month of Ramadan will start Sep 1, according to a leading Kuwaiti astronomer.
Mona Ahmed Anbar, director of astronomy and space sciences at the Kuwait Science Club, said in a statement that the solar eclipse that occurred in the month of Shabaan (the month preceding Ramadan in the Islamic calendar) and the re-occurrence of the lunar eclipse Aug 16 meant that the final day of Shabaan coincided with Aug 31, the official Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported.
She said the department would be sighting the crescent on the 28th and 29th days of Shabaan.
Anbar’s statement comes following Qatari astronomer Khalid Abdullah Turki Al Subaei statement that the moon’s crescent or Hilal for Ramadan would be “born” Aug 30 or the 29th day of Shabaan around 11 p.m. Qatar time.
“The moonset will occur before the sunset Saturday (Aug 30), thus the crescent would not be seen on that day all over the Muslim world, therefore the month of Shaaban should be complete, and Ramadan is to begin Monday, Sep 1,” Al Subaei had said.