For those just beginning their stargazing journey, the sky’s most elusive guest is not just a blazing star or a distant nebula—it’s the new moon. Its presence reveals some of the most profound moments in the celestial calendar, particularly in Islamic tradition, where its sighting signals spiritual renewal and the start of holy months.

Why Is the New Moon So Hard to See?

The new moon phase occurs when the Moon is positioned directly between the Earth and the Sun. Here’s why it’s nearly invisible:

• Sunlit Side Faces Away: The side lit by the Sun faces away from Earth, leaving us looking at the Moon’s dark hemisphere.
• Too Close to the Sun: The Moon sets with the Sun, often lost in the Sun’s overwhelming glare and low on the horizon during twilight.
• Slender Crescent: Even a day after the new phase, the Moon appears as a razor-thin crescent—dim, low, and short-sightability in the sky.

Spotting this faint curve requires excellent timing, ideal atmospheric conditions, and a clear western horizon. Where in Brunei Darussalam, it is mostly overcast and heavy presence of clouds which may hindered our visual sight to spot the crescent.

The Significance in Islam: When Lunar Cycle Syncs the Calendar

In the Islamic lunar calendar, each month begins with the visual sighting or Rukyah of the new crescent moon—known as hilal. This sighting isn’t just an astronomical event; it’s deeply spiritual and communal.

The process of sighting the crescent moon is a deeply rooted tradition, referenced in Islamic jurisprudence and considered obligation or Fardhu Kifayah. Rukyahtul hilal is essential to track our calendar, because it is connected to two of the pillars of Islam: fasting and Hajj. These were emphasized by the hadith:

1) “When you see the crescent moon fast, and when you see the crescent moon break the fast” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 1081)
2) “Fast by its sighting and stop fasting by its sighting and if it is hidden from you, then complete the number of Syaaban as thirty” (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith: 1909 and Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 1081)

Key Islamic Moments Guided by the Moon:

• Ramadan: Begins with the sighting of the new moon and ends with Aidilfitri upon the next crescent.
• Hajj & AidilAdha: The lunar month of Zulhijjah guides the Hajj pilgrimage and the timing of eids.
• A Timeless Tradition: Muslim communities around the world look to the skies together, continuing a prophetic practice that blends science, observation, and faith.

Observation Tips for Beginners

These are some tips based on my 20-years personal experience in new moon hunting:

• Moon Age: Aim to observe the crescent 15–30 hours after the new moon phase for better visibility. The smaller the age, the less likely it is to be observable by the naked eye. Optical aids such as a telescope or binocular increase your chances of spotting the young hilal.
• Clear Western Horizon: Choose a high vantage point with no obstructions like buildings or trees.
• Basic Instruments: To pinpoint the Moon in the sky, start with a compass to determine its azimuth—or horizontal direction. Then, use a clinometer to gauge the altitude angle above the horizon. For an even smoother new moon hunt, a pair of rangefinder binoculars equipped with a built-in compass and vertical reticle markings can make tracking more precise and efficient.
• Know where to look: Use skymap application such as here to get the altitude and azimuth of the Moon based on your location and date.
• Twilight Timing: Look just after sunset, when the sky darkens and the crescent may briefly glow usually 15 minutes after sundown.
• Use Binoculars First: Spot it through binoculars, then try with the naked eye for confirmation.
• Clouded skies don’t rule out a crescent: A “cloud break” during moon sighting provides a brief clearing in an otherwise overcast sky that allows a glimpse of the hilal.

For new moon hunters in Brunei Darussalam, you can use this chart to guide you when to look up for hilal this year 2025/1447H. For other years 2000-2099, please visit First Visibility of Lunar Crescent (Hilal) and Prediction

Remember to share your moon hunting photos and observation result either positive or negative to #BruneiAstronomy via social media. See how many youngest moons you can spot this year.

Clear sky and happy new moon hunting!

Note: Prediction method by Mohammad SH. Odeh (New Criterion For Lunar Crescent Visibility, 2005) employed new criterion visibility of the lunar crescent, V. This is only a computational analysis data. The result/declaration of the sighting/beginning of hijrah month should be referenced to official media by the Government.

It’s rare and very challenging to see a moon within 24 hours of new moon. Our PABD include monthly hilal observation to spot the youngest possible moons with digital camera, optical aid, or with the eye alone.

Prediction method by Mohammad SH. Odeh (New Criterion For Lunar Crescent Visibility, 2005) employed visibility of the lunar crescent by this new criterion, V= ARCV−(−0.1018W3 +0.7319W2 −6.3226W +7.1651) where: ARCV: Airless and topocentric arc of vision in degrees. W: Topocentric crescent width in arc minutes ;
V > 5.65 : Naked Eyes
2 < V < 5.65 : Optical aid / Naked eyes
-0.96 < V < 2 : Optical aid only
V < -0.96 : Not visible

Berita Harian – Sambutan 1 Syawal sudah tidak ada ‘ummph’ atau kejutan lagi seperti dahulu kala, terutama ketika pengumuman tarikh hari raya, kata seorang teman. Katanya, ahli keluarga sudah tidak lagi ‘terpacak’ di hadapan televisyen menunggu Penyimpan Mohor Besar Raja-Raja mengumumkan tarikh Aidilfitri seperti lazimnya berlaku pada 1960-an, 1970-an dan 1980-an.

“Beliaulah (penyimpan mohor) paling glamour dan satu-satunya manusia yang amat dinantikan oleh semua rakyat Malaysia pada malam pengumuman raya. Sekarang keadaan sudah tidak sama, kerana tarikh 1 Syawal macam sudah boleh diagak atau dikira, dah tahu lebih awal,” katanya.

Ya, sejak 1993, penentuan awal Ramadan dan Syawal menggunakan kaedah rukyah dan hisab iaitu penggunaan syarat nampak anak bulan bagi membuat justifikasi kenampakan anak bulan. Ada tiga amalan berbeza dalam menentukan awal bulan hijriah. Amalan itu ialah rukyah, iaitu melihat anak bulan semata-mata, hisab falak semata-mata serta rukyah dan hisab menggunakan kriteria imkanur rukyah, iaitu menggunakan hisab dalam menentukan kebolehnampakan anak bulan atau hilal.

Tunggu pengumuman rasmi

Apa yang diceritakan seorang teman tadi, memang benar. Saya sendiri teringat zaman kanak-kanak hingga remaja, terpacak di depan televisyen bersama ahli keluarga lain, menjelang hujung Ramadan menunggu pengumuman rasmi Penyimpan Mohor Besar Raja-Raja, lazimnya sebelum atau selepas waktu Maghrib.

Semua kerja dihentikan, memasak, mengemas, pasang langsir atau tengah makan sekali pun….kerana terpaku depan televisyen untuk seketika.

Andai diumumkan lusa hari raya, tiada apa yang berlaku kerana keesokan harinya puasa hari terakhir disambung dan ada banyak masa lagi untuk membeli-belah atau mencari barang keperluan raya yang belum sempat dibeli.

Tetapi, yang ‘ummph’ sekali ialah apabila Penyimpan Mohor Besar Raja-Raja mengumumkan ‘esok raya’, sekali gus menyebabkan keadaan menjadi kelam-kabut. Kanak-kanak akan terus mandi, kerana tak sabar nak pakai baju baharu, lepas itu berjalan-jalan atau bermain mercun dan bunga api di halaman rumah.

Golongan wanita pula akan terus sibuk di dapur, membakar kuih-muih, ketupat, memasak daging dan ayam, selain mula mempersiapkan langsir baharu. Satu kampung akan meriah dengan dentuman mercun, percikan bunga api dan orang ramai lalu-lalang, kerana masing-masing ada urusan sama ada untuk ke kedai, jumpa kawan untuk bersembang atau sengaja bergembira di jalanan.

Takbir raya di masjid memeriahkan lagi suasana. Program televisyen pula tiba-tiba bertukar dengan pelbagai bentuk hiburan, diselang seli takbir raya.

Berhari raya dalam kapal terbang

Namun, disebabkan kejutan pengumuman ‘esok raya’ ini jugalah saya pernah berhari raya dalam kapal terbang pada pagi Aidilfitri. Tetapi saya bukan seperti lagu Musafir di Aidilfitri nyanyian S Jibeng, yang antara lain berbunyi: “Oh Tuhan Yang Maha Kaya; Hamba menangis di pagi raya; Aidilfitri hari bahgia; Tapi hamba dilanda derita”.

Bukan derita, cuma rasa syahdu mendengar takbir raya di awan biru, sambil dihidangkan lemang dan kuih muih oleh pramugari Penerbangan Malaysia (MAS). Ini gara-gara kerana terlalu yakin hari raya ‘jatuh lusa’, bukan ‘esok’. Saya yakin, ramai yang lain turut ‘terperangkap’ dengan pengumuman ‘raya esok’, termasuk penumpang MAS pagi itu kerana kapal terbang penuh, sebahagian besar orang Islam.

“Sekarang situasi itu sudah tiada,” kata seorang lagi teman. Katanya, semua sudah boleh dirancang sebaik mengetahui tarikh puasa bermula, diikuti waktu membeli-belah, waktu balik kampung dan sebagainya, kerana tarikh hari raya bagaikan sudah diketahui lebih awal, tanpa disangkal lagi.

“Tetapi saya tetap rindu masa dulu-dulu, saya suka kejutan, bukan seperti yang kita rancang. Keadaan begini mengajar kita untuk menukar pelan serta merta atau saat akhir apabila berlaku kejutan,” kata seorang lagi rakan sekerja.

Penulis adalah Pengarang Bersekutu (Rencana/Mingguan) BH
Sumber: Berita Harian https://www.bharian.com.my/rencana/muka10/2019/06/570611/kejutan-pagi-aidilfitri

Source: www.seasc2017.org