Training the UK’s next generation of Moonsighting leaders

A new multidisciplinary astronomy course for Muslim leaders in the UK, with New Crescent Society’s Imad Ahmed, and astronomers and experts from Cambridge University’s Institute of Astronomy, and the University of Leeds.  

Delivered through a mix of online and in-person sessions in Leeds and Cambridge, this 9-month course will cover: 

• The science of the Islamic calendar: Understanding the astronomical underpinnings of the calendar, how to sight the moon, lunar phases and visibility, using astronomical data, apps, and optical aids
• Islamic and cultural dimensions: Exploring the religious and social questions surrounding the Islamic calendar in the UK and beyond.
• Community leadership & communication: Learning how to engage local communities, build networks, present to an audience, train and inspire others

 We are training moonsighting leaders who are excited by the prospect of:

• leading moonsightings in their own area
• training local lunar observation groups within their own community
• sharing best practice within a national network of practitioners
• working towards a united Islamic calendar in the UK

Latest news

Applications have now closed and the recruitment process is complete. 

The first 90-minute online training session took place on Sunday 14 December, 12:00–13:30. The next session will be on site at the University of Leeds in January. 

Trainees have been tasked to find somewhere local to see the new crescent moon on Monday 22 December. The sun will set at its solstice point. Two hours later, moonset will occur at the same location—the most southern setting of the year. 

Searching for “sunset in [town or city]” can be a helpful way to find known view points locally.

Course structure, commitments and key dates

• Once a month: online 90-minute weekend/evening training sessions with astronomers and academics from the Universities of Cambridge and Leeds, from December 2025–August 2026.
• Once a month: hands-on experience gained though monthly local moonsighting each month
• On site training sessions: Leeds(residential): Thursday 8 & Friday 9 January 2026; Cambridge: Monday 15 June 2026 (with evening lunar observation session with optical aids)

Note: There will be no online training sessions in January or June, as we will be meeting in person. Financial support will be provided for accommodation and travel.

This course is made possible by a Spark award from the UKRI Science & Technology Facilities Council (UKRI3296), with additional in-kind support from the University of Cambridge (Faculty of Divinity & Institute of Astronomy) and the University of Leeds.

For more about the project team, the principles behind this course, and answers to some frequently asked questions, see the left-hand menu.

Featured image: Includes an original photograph of the new crescent moon taken by Nirupam Sarker in 2014. Available from Wikimedia, CC by SA 4.0.