Makkah:The sky over Makkah will witness a remarkable astronomical event on Monday morning, with the Moon aligning directly over the Holy Kaaba for the second time in 2026. The Moon will nearly reach the zenith, appearing almost directly overhead at this significant location, and will be visible to the naked eye.
According to Saudi Press Agency, Eng. Majed Abu Zahra, President of the Jeddah Astronomy Society, stated that the Moon will reach its peak altitude at 7:50:31 a.m. local time. It will rise to approximately 89.87 degrees, making it appear almost directly overhead above the Kaaba.
The phenomenon occurs as the Moon's declination aligns with Makkah's latitude while crossing the local meridian. The Moon will be in its waning crescent phase, with 31.8% of its disk illuminated at that time.
Despite the Sun's presence making the Moon less prominent compared to nighttime alignments, Abu Zahra noted that the Moon's position can still serve as a visual guide for the direction of Makkah from locations where the Moon is visible above the horizon.
