How to Locate the Crescent Moon in Cloudy Weather

Asslamo Allaikum,

Adopted from How to Locate the Crescent Moon in Cloudy Weather? view inline by Qamar Uddin

1. First, obtain information on when and where the moon will be visible for your location. At a minimum, you need to know the following which can be obtained from Moon_Viz or calculated using Accurate Times
   1. The sunset/moonset times
   2. and the azimuth (direction) of the sun and moon at sunset times.
2. Identify a high location with clear western horizon, down to ground level, without any obstruction from buildings, trees, hills or mountains. The crescent moon always appears near the sunset position, which differs, from winter to summer months (WSW to WNW in the UK).
3. Visit the location on a clear day near the date of observation and note the position of the sunset with respect to the landscape. Take a photograph of the sunset position and note the date/time and other camera settings (e.g. shutter speed, focal length etc), which can be used to predict the moon position on another day. Photograph of sunset on 3 April 2011 with moon track prediction added (with Red Shift 6) for 4 April 2011 (see photograph 1, below)
4. For technical observers:
   1. Use suitable astronomical software to predict the direction of the moon from the sunset to moonset times see software like Skyview
   2. If you have an andorid phone use google skymap  on the day (see photograph 2, below)
5. The example (photoggraph 1) shows how the above techniques have been used by members of York Astronomical Society to predict the position of the crescent moon on a cloudy day (4 April 2011) with a sunset photograph from a clear day (3 April 2011), (see photograph 3, below)

Picture 1:

Picture 2:

Picture 3:

Asslamo Allaikum Hazrat,

No one is asking for you to trust a software, rather you are being asked to trust your eyes. The crescent moon always appears near the sunset position and everything is to simply make you focus in the right direction, that's all.

If the issue was of trusting software then there would be NO POINT in asking people to try to view the moon would it? We will simply ask to send an email to NASA and start Ramadhan & Eid.

Science is used as a tool just like in any other matter e.g. you use a compass to locate the direction of the Qiblah OR use the Observatory and computer programs to calculate Salah times OR use the Observatory to figure out Solar & Lunar eclipses and then pray Salah according to it OR use your mobile to read the Qur'aan or use Muftisays to discuss Islamic matters. : - )

The basis of moonsighting is "sighting" and not calculations or software and no one is asking for you to trust the software. Please feel free to come back with any further questions and we will try our best to answer OR refer your query to qualified Ulamah to respond to BUT don't get abusive and don't get side-tracked try to stick to the subject which you have started, respond with evidence and Fatawaa of the Ulamah to back your position of not using software "as a tool"

Jazakullah Khairun