Hijri year 1445 will have 354 days in Bahrain, says astronomer Al Hajri

TDT | Manama  

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The Hijri year 1445 will have a duration of 354 days, 3 hours, and 9 minutes in Bahrain, said astronomer researcher Ali Al-Hajri, citing the latest calculations.

The time frame will be even for six months, namely Safar, Rabi al-Awwal, Rabi al-Thani, Rajab, Shawwal, and Dhu al-Hijjah. However, the remaining six months—Muharram, Jumada Al-Awwal, Jumada al-Akhira, Sha’ban, Ramadan, and Dhul-Qi’da—will remain uneven in terms of duration.

Al-Hajri emphasized the challenges of observing the four sacred months due to the moon’s height at sunset. These months include Jumada al-Awwal, Shaban, Muharram, and Shawwal. He said that observing them with the naked eye is difficult, but they can be photographed using cameras or daytime monitoring technology with telescopes under clear weather conditions.

Furthermore, Al-Hajri noted that there are five crescents that are impossible to monitor on the day of their association with the Sun, but some of them may be observed using daytime monitoring techniques.

These include the months of Safar, Rabi al-Awwal, Jumada al-Akhira, Ramadan, and Dhu al-Hijjah. However, the month of Rabi al-Thani can be viewed with the naked eye, while Dhu al-Qi`dah can be imaged during the day under clear weather conditions. In terms of the length of the lunar months for the current year, Al-Hajri provided the following order: Shawwal, Dhu al-Hijjah, Rajab, Ramadan, Shaban, Dhu alQa’dah, Jumada al-Awwal, Safar, Jumada al-Awwal, Muharram, Rabi’ al-Thani, and Rabi’ al-Awwal.

The duration of the full moon phase for these lunar months will range from more than 13 to less than 16 consecutive days. Al-Hajri concluded by predicting that the Hijri year 1445 in Bahrain will witness a partial lunar eclipse on the 28th and 29th of October, coinciding with the full moon phase of the month of Rabi al-Thani.

The eclipse will last for about 4 hours and 25 minutes, with an occultation rate of 4.97% from the moon’s disc. Muharram marks the beginning of the Islamic New Year, or the Hijri New Year, which marks the arrival of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) in Madinah from Makkah.