Re: Time to fix the lunar calendar: Ramzan is just around the corner
With technological advancement, the science of astronomy has advanced leaps and bounds. We can now measure --with pin-point accuracy, and to the nearest seconds-- the variable speed, elliptical path traversed, rotaional speed and time period of the moon. So accurate are these measurements that we--without even looking at the moon thru a telescope-- can compute the position and timing of the new moon.
What is a new moon?
New moon = the moon after it has executed one complete revolution around earth. The time period varies (29 days and som hours) depending on proximity to the Sun (sun's gravitation pull does have an effect on the moon's time period)
There are three schools of thought.
1) These people claim the occurence of the new moon marks the beginning of the month, regardless of whether or not the moon can be "sighted." Sometimes the new moon cannot be seen even with a telescope. For instance,
Sun -------Earth-----Moon,
If the new moon occurs with the Earth in the center, then it cannot be seen, since it is hidden from the Sun with the earth casting a shadow on it; and the moon borrows light from the sun for its brightness. But the first group of people will resort to scientific calculation and claim that the new moon has occurred.
2) Second groups of people also rely on the scientifc data; but unlike the first group of people, they rely on scientific data to figure out when and where the moon will be "sighted." They study angles, elevation, longitude to ascertain the visibility of the moon.
Statement like this is common: "The new moon, which is 12 hrs old, will be visible in noth america and south america at 11:00 GMT."
3) Third group of people are more penchant towards the original sunnah of our beloved Prophet (SAW). The moon may be sighted in NJ -- but not in NY due to some cloud formation-- but this third group will not consider the sighting by the NJ people to be valid.
I usually go with the second group, because to be in the third group, you need to be pro-active and not lazy, which i am :(