Eid-ul-Fitr 2020 live: Saudi Arabia moon sighting timing, end of Ramadan

Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims across the world and the date for the festival is likely to be announced on Friday (May 22, 2020) night. Saudi Arabia Supreme Court has urged Muslims throughout the country to sight and report the crescent moon.

It said: "Whoever sights the moon with naked eyes or through binoculars, report to the nearest court and register testimony, or report to an authority of a region's centre in the area."

The moon is likely to be sighted on Friday evening. The new moon would signify the start of the month of Shawwal and end of the month of Ramadan 2020 (Ramzan), as per the Islamic lunar calendar.

If the new moon is spotted on Friday, Eid will be on Saturday. If the moon is not observed, then Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated the following day on Sunday.

Eid-ul-Fitr is the festival of breaking the fast, it begins on the first day of the new Islamic month, Shawwal, and is celebrated for up to three days depending on the country.

Eid holiday will begin on Ramadan 29 that is Friday but Shawwal 3 will either fall on Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on whether Ramadan is made up of 29 or 30 days this year.

Though astronomers from Abu Dhabi's International Astronomical Centre said Eid-ul-Fitr would likely fall on May 24. As spotting the new moon would be impossible due to the setting of the moon before the sun. 

The Islamic or Hijri calendar is determined by moon cycles, which are either 29 or 30 days long. The presence of a new moon signals the start of a new month.

The sighting of the moon on Friday will decide if Ramadan will last 29 or 30 days.