SHAFAQNA– The holy city of Mecca, in a rare phenomenon, will witness the vertical placement of the moon over the Kaaba this evening (on Thursday).
Astronomers say that the phenomenon of verticalization of the moon occurs in many places, but its verticalization on the Kaaba is of particular importance because it can determine the exact direction of the Qibla.
“Today (on Thursday) at 6:29 a.m. Saudi time (15:29 GMT), the moon will be placed vertically on the Kaaba, and this phenomenon can be used to determine the exact direction of the Qibla in areas that are more than a thousand kilometers far from Mecca”, Molham Hindi, a member of the Arab Astronomy and space Union, said.
He added: “Because the moon is in the first square, at the moment when the moon shining vertically on the Kaaba, the eastern regions of Mecca enter the night, so it is easy to see the moon and determine its direction, while the western regions of Mecca are in day and it is not easy to see the moon in these areas.
This news is originally published by Shia News Persian and translated by Shafaqna English