https://arab.news/ycjef
JEDDAH: The Jeddah Astronomy Society has announced that the moon, in its first-quarter phase for the month of Muharram, will be visible in the sky over the Arab world during daylight hours on Saturday July 13, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The moon will rise at noon local time from the eastern horizon and reach its highest point in the sky at sunset, giving astronomy enthusiasts an excellent opportunity to study its surface. After nightfall, Spica, one of the 20 brightest stars in the night sky, will be visible near the moon.
Majid Abu Zahra, the head of the Jeddah Astronomy Society, explained that Spica actually consists of two stars orbiting each other, but due to their vast distance from Earth, it appears as a single object.
He noted that, during its first-quarter phase, half of the moon is illuminated. This is the ideal time, he said, to observe the moon’s surface with binoculars or a small telescope, as the mountains, craters, and other features are particularly clear, especially along the terminator line, which separates the day side from the night side. “The interplay of light and shadows along this line provides a stunning three-dimensional view,” Abu Zahra explained.
He added that the moon will remain visible until midnight local time, reaching its first quarter phase at 1:48 a.m. Makkah. At this point, it will have completed a quarter of its orbit around the Earth for this month.