Last quarter 'Safar moon' visible tonight over Jeddah

The moon will be visible after midnight tonight, Wednesday, in its last quarter phase for the month of Safar, with half of its disk illuminated. This marks the completion of about three-quarters of its orbit around Earth during the lunar month.

Majed Abu Zahira, president of the Jeddah Astronomical Society, explained that this phase is one of the best times to observe the moon’s surface features using binoculars or small telescopes. Mountains and craters stand out clearly along the line dividing the illuminated and dark sides, thanks to the contrast of light and shadow, offering an ideal opportunity for astronomical observation and photography.

He added that the moon will continue to rise in the sky until dawn on Thursday before setting at noon local time. Observing this phase helps in understanding the development of the moon’s phases and its monthly motion, as it gradually transitions to the crescent and new moon, leading up to conjunction and the start of Rabi Al-Awwal 1448 AH.