The Moon, The Sun and Jupiter all in One Day on the skies above Al-Kaaba; A Rare astronomical event in Mecca

Sunday the 15^th of July, 2012, the sky of Al Kaaba located in the United Kingdom of Saudi Arabia witnesses very rare astronomical conditions for the Moon, the Sun and Jupiter in one day.

The Kaaba witnesses the occurrence of three astronomical phenomena which can be viewed by naked eyes. The first phenomenon begins by the moon crossing in front of Jupiter planet, the fourth brightest object in the sky after the sun, the moon and Venus planet. This occurs for a temporary period of time and before the sunrise. This motion noticed from the moon is actually a simple result from the natural orbit of the moon.

A few hours later, it witnesses the moon being perpendicular for the sixth time with Kaaba but for the fourth time during the morning.

 Three hours and eleven minutes later, Kaaba finally witnesses the sun being perpendicular with it for the second and last time during the current Hejri year on its holy sky.

The head of the Astronomy Society in Jeddah, Engineer Maged Abu Zahra warned from looking directly to the sun, either during the time of this phenomenon or during the rest of the year through telescopes that are not equipped with light filters, indicating that these devices aim at focusing the sun rays with its most dangerous ultraviolet rays which cause severe eyes burns.

He added that the phenomena of having the moon and the sun being perpendicular on the same day on Kaaba is monitored and will be documented in a scientific way, pointing out that the first phenomenon occurs before the sunrise when the moon crosses Jupiter. That is when the moon completely covers Jupiter reflecting an astronomical phenomenon called the “Occultation”.

He noted that the sun shines in the sky of Mecca at 5:47. In the meantime, the moon completes its movement across the dome of the sky until it reaches a point of being perpendicular with the Kaaba at 9:15:19 am when they both are vertical on each other – on the same line.

After the Moon leaves this vertical point, the Sun is going to apparently move to this same point after three hours and eleven minutes from the moon passing on it and becomes in line with the Kaaba at 12:26:45 pm which is the time for noon prayers at the Grand Mosque ‘Al-Masjid Al-Haram’.

It is worth mentioning that the occultation of Jupiter by the moon was witnessed in several parts of the world and not only in Mecca. Citizens in many countries around Africa, Europe and Asia have witnessed the phenomenon and were able to have beautiful clear pictures of it!