Last quarter moon of Rabi Al-Awwal illuminates skies over Arar and Saudi Arabia at dawn

The Rabi Al-Awwal moon for the year 1448 AH adorned the skies over Arar and other regions of Saudi Arabia at dawn on Friday, as it reached the last quarter phase—one of the main stages in the moon’s monthly orbit around Earth.

Adnan Khalifa, a member of the Astronomy and Space Club, explained that the moon appeared in the early morning hours with about half of its disk illuminated. He noted that the last quarter phase occurs roughly a week after the full moon, when the angle between the sun, Earth, and moon is about 90 degrees.

Khalifa added that during this phase, the moon typically rises around midnight and remains visible throughout the second half of the night until morning, setting near midday.

Ideal time to observe lunar terrain

Khalifa stated that the last quarter is an ideal time to observe the moon’s surface features, as the angle of sunlight creates distinct shadows along the line dividing the illuminated and dark portions, making craters, mountains, and other lunar terrain stand out more clearly.

He added that in the coming days, the illuminated portion of the moon will gradually decrease as it transitions to the waning crescent phase, eventually reaching the new moon and marking the start of a new lunar cycle.