New Crescent Society

The New Crescent Society was founded by Imad Ahmed in 2016 as an amateur astronomy club interested in the relationship between astronomy and Islam.^[7] It began its relationship with the Royal Observatory Greenwich 2017, launching the successful 'Astronomy and Islam' programme - a series of educational Planetarium shows, educational events and astronomy livestreams.^[8] Ahmed has said that his interest in establishing a British moonsighting network developed partly from disagreements over the dates of Ramadan and Eid among Muslim communities in the United Kingdom.^[9]

A visit to Cape Town, South Africa, in 2015 was an important influence on the organisation's development. Ahmed encountered the city's tradition of Muslims gathering communally to observe the crescent Moon and subsequently sought to establish similar public observations in Britain.^[10] After returning to the UK, Ahmed enrolled on an astronomy course at the Royal Observatory Greenwich and established the New Crescent Society.^[11]

NCS subsequently developed regular monthly observations in locations around the country. In 2023, Hyphen reported that the Society had trained dozens of moon-sighters who participated in monthly events across the UK, while The New Arab reported that its continuous monthly observation data extended back to September 2017.^[9][12]

The organization's main activities were lunar observations, training events in the history of astronomy and Islam, learning about Islami prayer times, and discussing the history of the Islamic calendar debates in the UK.^[13] During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, observers kept up socially distanced photographic logs for a full year of continuous data. Testimonies via Zoom was also introduced around this time, something which is still streamed live to this day.^[14] By 2025, the Society marked its eighth year with over 100 monthly sighting attempts recorded, the integration of Met Office forecasts into its planning, and the documentation of one of the youngest ever crescents seen in the UK.^[15][16][17]

In August 2026, the Society announced a week-long programme of Islam and astronomy activities in Cape Town, South Africa, scheduled for 9–16 August, including a public Rabi al-Awwal crescent observation.^[18]

In 2025, the New Crescent Society joined the University of Cambridge and the University of Leeds in establishing the Moonsighters Academy, a nine-month programme combining astronomy education, online and in-person training, and practical lunar observations.^[19][20] The programme was funded through a Spark Award from the Science and Technology Facilities Council, part of UK Research and Innovation, and was intended to train community leaders to establish local astronomy and lunar-observation activities in their own communities.^[19]

The programme began with residential training at the University of Leeds in January 2026 before continuing through online sessions, practical observations and peer support. With a final meeting at the University of Cambridge and Cambridge central Mosque in June 2026 ^[20] The academy's cohort consisted of 38 participants from across the UK, with an equal number of men and women, and included imams, Scout leaders and other community organisers.^[11]

The New Crescent Society has helped dozens of UK mosques align their calendars with local sightings, and its work has been featured by BBC News, BBC One Show, New Scientist, and Al Jazeera for its "citizen-science Islam" approach.^[21] The group has also co-hosted the "Moon & Faith" exhibition at the Royal Greenwich Observatory alongside yearly Ramadan sightings.^[22][23] It also works closely with Cambridge University.^[24] The society had also provided expert advice on the size, angle and timing of the crescent moon to the Mayor of London assembly in assisting with its "London Eye Eid light up.".^[25] The UK Royal charter affiliated The Scout Association also worked with the society to make sighting the crescent moon one of its child friendly outdoor activities.^[26]

The Society has developed a longstanding relationship with the Royal Observatory Greenwich through public astronomy events and moonsighting programmes.^[10] On 18 February 2026, the Royal Observatory and NCS jointly broadcast a live search for the Ramadan crescent from Greenwich, presented by Royal Observatory astronomer Jake Foster and NCS director Imad Ahmed. NCS observers joined the broadcast from locations around the country, with the organisation reporting a confirmed sighting from Jersey shortly after the livestream ended.^[27]

The National Maritime Museum's 2025–26 annual report described the collaboration with NCS as an established partnership. It reported that the 2026 Ramadan broadcast received 14,800 YouTube views on the day, later increasing to 32,200, with a further 46,977 views through the Royal Museums Greenwich website.^[28]

NCS has also participated in public astronomy and educational activities at venues including the Natural History Museum, Trafalgar Square and Stonehenge.^[29]

The table below gives the Islamic months for 1447 AH in the United Kingdom according to the New Crescent Society's (NCS) local naked-eye moonsighting criteria. Dates are projected from crescent visibility data published by the HM Nautical Almanac Office who work directly with NCS to provide predictions that can be used by Government Departments, Islamic Intuitions and schools/employers.

The table below gives the Islamic months for 1448 AH in the United Kingdom according to the New Crescent Society's (NCS) local naked-eye moonsighting criteria. Dates are projected from crescent visibility data published by the HM Nautical Almanac Office who work directly with NCS to provide predictions that can be used by Government Departments, Islamic Institutions and schools/employers.

Some scholars believe that following moon sightings from countries like Morocco or Saudi Arabia helps maintain global unity among Muslims.^[7][30] On the other hand, some astronomers say the New Crescent Society is too cautious for not accepting sightings detected only by CCD equipment.^[31][13] The Society's view is that traditional Islamic rulings prioritise either direct sighting of the crescent or completing thirty days, and while optical tools can help locate the moon, they insist that a naked-eye sighting is still required which aligns with the mainstream Sunni Islamic View.^[32]

The New Crescent Society is an organisation which celebrates the relationship between astronomy, faith and Islam. It hopes to bring unity amongst the Muslim community in the UK about the calendar debates by forging a path based on a position which is closest to the sunnah, and is acceptable by all: local naked eye moon sighting, as was traditionally done.^[7] It trains volunteers, keeps a record of sightings, and shares clear calendars so communities can start Ramadan and Eid together. The group also creates simple guides to help people learn about the Islamic lunar calendar.^[33]