Although officially the month starts when an official sees the new moon, I wonder to what extent they predict in advance when the moon is likely to be visible and then, in order to avoid unnecessary disruption, they make sure that that is indeed when they see it.
> The OIC says religious scholars will have access to accurate pictures of the shape of the Moon instead of having to rely on naked-eye sightings which have in the past created discrepancies between Muslim countries or mistakes.
> "Hopefully the satellite will stop the problems associated with lunar sightings," spokesman Ahmed Imigene says.
> "The satellite will have a fixed camera on board that will take highly detailed pictures of the Moon and beam them back to earth," says Professor Mervat Awad, the centre's director.
> Dr Ali Juma, chief of the 15-member panel from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain which decided on the contract for the satellite, says it will solve many problems related to crescent sighting.
Though... not all countries use that technology. I'm not sure if its still in use as that was 15 years ago.
He moved way up north after graduation, and I, being an inquisitive fellow, asked him how he coped with Ramadan when it occurred during the summer months (when midnight sun was a thing).
The reply was reassuringly pragmatic. -'Oh, I just follow the fast in Mecca, much simpler than for my brethren south of the Arctic Circle.'
> Since the new moon is not in the same state at the same time globally, the beginning and ending dates of Ramadan depend on what lunar sightings are received in each respective location. As a result, Ramadan dates vary in different countries, but usually only by a day.
