The Islamic Calendar according to Muslims in the UK 1

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THE INSTITUTE FOR THE REVIVAL OFTRADITIONAL ISLAMIC SCIENCESTable 2 – Analysis of Hasanzadeh’s Collated Data on Moon SightingMethodologyNumber ofObservationsElongation Range(degrees)Mean of Elongation(degrees)Eye Only 50 9.23-22.48 16.13Binocular 20 7.51-22.72 12.59Telescope 4 7.30-8.42 7.91This is important to appreciate that the telescope is sighting the moon significantly earlierthan the eye alone on average (cf 7.91 to 16.13 respectively). By plotting and finallyextrapolating these results he found that theoretically 5 0 is the point at which it will nolonger be visible. He does mention a number of individuals who have claimed to havedetected the crescent below the Danjon limit. James Stamm with his assistant has claimedto have sighted Sha’bān 1425AH morning crescent on 13 th October 2004 at 6.5 0 using an 8inch telescope, however his report has been doubted by some experts (Sinnott, 2006). Hegoes further, to mention Martin Elsasser who on the 15 th June 2007 using image processingtook photos of the Moon crescent at less than 5 0 in daylight. What is more profound is thathe managed to detect the moon crescent 5 minutes after conjunction on 15 th May 2008.Furthermore on 14 th April 2010 Legault (2010) used a similar method to determine thecrescent at 4.5 0 . However these are images via powerful cameras using Infra-Red Light,impossible to be seen by any other method.Elsasser describes the apparatus used to capture this image:Special baffle in front of the telescope to block the light of the sun, with ladder to adjust thebaffleHigh-quality refractor telescope Williams FLT110, aligned with the baffleVisual/Infra-Red filters in the telescope, transmission starts at 680nmMassive astronomical mount MAM 50 to handle all the weight despite gusty windOptimised digital camera DMK41AF02.AS. The camera was operated through the native ICCapture AS software.Notebook with assortment of required software, Guide 8, AstroArt 4, Giotto30 | W W W . I R T I S . O R G . U K
THE INSTITUTE FOR THE REVIVAL OFTRADITIONAL ISLAMIC SCIENCES45 minutes after Geocentric ConstructionElsasser does state, “Due to the numerous technical means required to capture this faintlunar crescent, these images probably do NOT show what could be seen through atelescope. It is quite possible that the lunar crescent will never be visible to human eyesfrom earth at these elongations, due to the low contrast. Of course, the lunar crescent isstill there, even if we cannot see it with the naked eye. The main reason for using camerasis to capture things the eye could not see and to document these, too.” (Elsasser, 2010).This can be compared with the camera image of the crescent which was shown after thedeclaration as the start of Ramadan 1436H. These are not visual sightings but imagescaptured by an advanced specialised camera.Legault also managed the feat at literally the birth of the moon.31 | W W W . I R T I S . O R G . U K
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The Islamic Calendar according to Muslims in the UK 1

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