Sharjah: The Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences and Technology (SAASST) has announced that Eid al-Fitr will be celebrated on Friday, March 20, 2026, across the United Arab Emirates.
According to Emirates News Agency, this announcement is based on precise astronomical calculations regarding the Shawwal crescent moon for the year 1447 A.H.
The observatory's calculations reveal that the new moon will not be visible on the evening of Wednesday, March 18, which corresponds to the 29th day of Ramadan. On that night, the moon is expected to set before the sun in the western sky, leading to the completion of the holy month on Thursday, March 19. The exact conjunction of the moon's surface over Sharjah is scheduled for 4:24 am UAE time on Thursday.
By sunset on Thursday, the crescent moon will be just 14 hours and six minutes old, with a 6.5-degree elongation from the sun, and positioned six degrees above the western horizon. It will linger for only 29 minutes after sunset, making its sighting extremely unlikely without advanced imaging technology. The observatory suggests that, while advanced stacked imaging might capture the crescent faintly, the chances remain slim for both telescopic and naked-eye sightings locally.
However, some Arab and Muslim countries may have a chance to see the crescent moon, either unaided or using telescopes, due to their favorable geographic conditions. SAASST emphasizes that Friday, March 20, will mark the beginning of Shawwal and the celebration of Eid al-Fitr in the UAE and most Islamic countries. In contrast, those regions that commenced Ramadan on Thursday, February 19, might observe Eid al-Fitr on Saturday, March 21, due to their reliance on moon sightings by the naked eye or through telescopes.
