morocco moon sighting

Morocco has officially declared that the crescent for Ramadan 2026 was sighted on the evening of Wednesday 18 February 2026, and that Thursday 19 February 2026 is the first day of Ramadan in the country.

Quick Scoop: Morocco Moon Sighting 2026

• The Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs in Morocco instructed its nationwide network of committees to observe the Ramadan crescent on Wednesday 18 February 2026 (29 Shaaban 1447 AH).

• Reports from these observation points confirmed sighting of the hilal (new crescent), leading to the announcement that Thursday 19 February 2026 is the first fasting day of Ramadan in Morocco.

• News outlets covering Ramadan dates for multiple countries also list Morocco’s start date as Thursday 19 February, aligning with the ministry’s decision.

How Morocco handles moon sighting

• Morocco uses an organized, centralized system with hundreds of official observation points across the country that report directly to the Ministry of Islamic Affairs. This system is widely regarded as one of the most methodical in the Muslim world.

• The country combines traditional naked‑eye observation with astronomical calculations to decide when to send observers and how to interpret borderline reports, but the legal start of the month is still tied to confirmed human sighting.

Astronomical backdrop

• Astronomical data show that a new moon occurred in Morocco on 17 February 2026, making visibility of the crescent on the evening of 18 February both expected and realistic under normal atmospheric conditions.

• This matches the ministry’s call to observe on Wednesday evening and the subsequent confirmation that the crescent was seen and that Ramadan would start on Thursday.

Forum and trending discussion angle

• Ramadan start dates and Morocco moon sighting are frequent topics in online forums and social platforms, especially because Morocco sometimes differs from Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia in its announcements due to its own criteria and local visibility.

• In recent years, posts have highlighted Morocco’s reputation for precise and cautious moon‑sighting practices, leading some communities abroad (for example in parts of Europe and the UK) to follow the Moroccan declaration as a reference.

TL;DR: For 2026, Morocco’s ministry has confirmed that the Ramadan crescent was seen on Wednesday night, and Ramadan in Morocco begins on Thursday 19 February 2026.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.