المملكة: Jeddah Astronomy: The moon adorns the sky of the Arab world in the first quarter phase of the month of Shaban
Chief explained The Astronomical Society in Jeddah Engineer Majid Abu Zahra said that the sky of the Arab world is witnessing today, Monday, January 26, 2026, the appearance of the moon in the first quarter phase of the month of Shaban, after it completed a quarter of its orbital cycle around the Earth since the moment of conjunction.
Abu Zahra explained that the moon in this phase rises from the eastern horizon at noon according to local time, and then continues to rise in the sky until it reaches its highest point just before sunset, which makes it an ideal target for astronomical observation from the afternoon hours until midnight.
The dividing line between night and day
He pointed out that only half of the moon’s disk is It is illuminatedin the first square phase, while the other half is immersed in shadow, which leads to the clear appearance of what is known as “the line dividing lunar day and night.”
This high contrast between light and shadow contributes to strikingly highlighting the details of the moon’s surface, such as craters resulting from ancient collisions, mountain ranges, and lunar valleys.
The President of the Astronomical Society in Jeddah confirmed that this phase is considered one of the best phases for observing and photographing the surface of the Moon, as the low angle of illumination gives a three-dimensional appearance to the surface formations. He advised using binoculars or using a telescope with an aperture between 4 and 6 inches to obtain finer details, with the possibility of using optical filters when needed to reduce glare and enhance contrast.
He added that the moon will continue its regular movement in its orbit around Earth During the coming days, the angular elongation between it and the sun will gradually increase, heading towards the full moon phase, where it begins to appear in the sky with sunset.
Abu Zahra concluded his statement by emphasizing that the first quadrature phase represents a unique opportunity for astronomy enthusiasts to follow the moon and study its surface features precisely, in an astronomical spectacle that combines visual beauty and scientific accuracy.
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