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From: paul@lane.cc.ukans.edu
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: New moons and Ramadhan
Message-ID: <1991Mar9.153942.19307@nntp-server.caltech.edu>
Date: 9 Mar 91 15:39:42 GMT
Sender: bes@nntp-server.caltech.edu (Behnam Sadeghi)
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
Lines: 25
Approved: bes@tybalt.caltech.edu

>From "Sky & Telescope", April, 1991, p. 410, "Moonwatcher's Corner"

"April's young Moon is no record breaker; it's 29 hours old as seen
from the East Coast, 32 hours from the West. The March 16th crescent
was a far greater challenge: 15 hours old from the East Coast, 18 from
the West."

(Times and dates are Universal Time)

New Moon....March 16,  8:10
New Moon....April 14, 19:38
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March 16th, at 2:10 AM Central Standard Time, the New Moon occurs. The
earliest crescent sighting, according to "Sky & Telescope" a few
years ago, was a 14 hour, 38 minute old crescent, seen from atop a
mountain. Hence, the earliest beginning of Ramadhan for us would be
the evening of the 16th. Last year, a member of the ISNA told me a 22
hour wait was used (whether a crescent was sighted or not). This would
push the beginning of Ramadhan for the U.S. to the evening of March 17th.

April's New Moon occurs April 14th, 2:38 PM Central Daylight Time.
There would be no ambiguity about Ramadhan ending April 15th for the
U.S.
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So, for the U.S., which will the beginning date be?