Ammon News - The specialist in astrophysics and space sciences, Ali Taani, revealed the reason for seeing the large Ramadan crescent in the sky of the Kingdom on Monday evening, which sparked widespread controversy about the accuracy of the start date of the holy month.

Taani told Ammon on Tuesday that the crescent's age at the moment of sunset on Monday was about 30 hours and 24 minutes, and it remained above the horizon for an hour and 20 minutes at an altitude of 18 degrees.

The moon sets 50 minutes later every day, he added.

One should not rely on merely looking at the crescent or full moon to estimate its age, as half a day often leads to a significant difference in appearance, he stressed.