Eid Al-Fitr 2024, Total Solar Eclipse and "Super New Moon"

The lunar conjunction on Tuesday not only marks the arrival of Eid al-Fitr, but also a solar eclipse and the "super new moon".

AFP/ABDEL GHANI BASHIR

A young boy with a bag of dates sat on the shoulder of a female worshipper praying in the Masjid al-Haram, in the holy city of Mecca on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, Friday (5/4/2024). Most Arab countries have already set Eid al-Fitr on Wednesday (10/4/2024).

The dead moon phase that occurred on Tuesday (9/4/2024) triggered three events at once, namely the entry into celebration of Idul Fitri for Muslims throughout the world, total solar eclipse which can be witnessed in North America, and super new moon which raises awareness of floods and tidal waves in a number of coastal areas Indonesia.

The dead moon phase occurs during the conjunction or alignment between the sun, moon (moon), and earth. This phenomenon marks a new lunation or lunar phase, starting from the dead moon, early crescent, full moon, final crescent, until the moon dies again. The conjunction occurred on Monday (8/4/2024) at 18.21 universal time or Tuesday (9/4/2024) at 01.21 WIB.

As a calendar based on the movement of the moon around the earth, the conjunction is a sign of the arrival of the month (month) in the Hijri calendar. However, the entry of the new month really depends on the criteria for the start of the Hijri month used in each country.

As an astronomical calendar, the Hijri calendar is generally based on the observation (rukyat) of the crescent moon conducted every 29th day of the Hijri month. This observation is mandatory in three months related to obligatory worship, namely Ramadan or the 9th month, Shawwal (10th), and Zulhijjah (12th). Outside of these three months, the determination of the beginning of the month is done using calculation or hisab with different criteria.

This time, the conjunction marks the entrance of the month of Shawwal, or the arrival of Eid al-Fitr on the 1st of Shawwal in 1445 Hijri/2024, which is celebrated by Muslims around the world. Even though there is no unified system in the Islamic calendar, Eid al-Fitr this time is likely to be celebrated together by the majority of Muslims worldwide on Wednesday (10/4/2024).

Most Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, which began the month of Ramadan on March 11, 2024, are certain to celebrate Eid al-Fitr on Wednesday because the length of Ramadan has reached 30 days on Tuesday. The lunar month in the Hijri calendar is either 29 or 30 days, so Wednesday automatically becomes the day of Eid al-Fitr.

In Indonesia, which begins Ramadan a day later than Saudi Arabia or on March 12, 2024, it is likely to also celebrate Eid al-Fitr on Wednesday. The position of the crescent moon on Tuesday evening will be high enough to meet the standard for observation.

Also read: Most Arab Countries Celebrate Eid Al-Fitr on Wednesday

(PHOTO BY MIKE COPPOLA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP)

An airplane flew past during a solar eclipse on Monday (8/4/2024) in Glen Rock, New Jersey, United States. Millions of people flocked to North America to witness the total solar eclipse.

Eclipse joy

While the Muslim community is celebrating the arrival of Eid al-Fitr 1445, the people in North America, from Mexico, the United States, to Canada, are also joyfully anticipating the arrival of the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, local time.

The total eclipse path this time stretches 185 kilometers wide and crosses areas inhabited by around 32 million people. The longest totality phase occurred above the city of Nazas, Mexico, lasting for 4 minutes and 28 seconds.

The peak of this solar eclipse occurred on Monday (8/4) at 12:17 Mexico time or Tuesday (9/4) at 01.17 WIB. Therefore, the peak of the solar eclipse is almost the same as the time of conjunction. Therefore, solar eclipses are often referred to as conjunctions that can be "observed."

From the arrival of Eid al-Fitr celebrations, solar eclipses, and the phenomenon of the super new moon, it shows that celestial objects and their interactions have an impact or influence on life on earth, both directly and indirectly.

This solar eclipse cannot be observed in Indonesia. This is not only because the path of totality does not pass through Indonesia, but also because Indonesia is in the midst of nighttime to early morning when the eclipse takes place.

In addition, the total solar eclipse on April 8 is one of two solar eclipses that will occur throughout 2024. The other solar eclipse will occur on October 2, 2024, which is a ring solar eclipse that can be observed in southern Chile and Argentina. The next total solar eclipse will only occur on August 12, 2026, which can be seen in the North Pole, Greenland, and Spain.

The next total solar eclipse that will pass through Indonesia's territory will occur on July 22, 2028. However, this eclipse cannot be observed on land as its path passes through the southern waters of Java. The total solar eclipse that can be witnessed on the Indonesian mainland will occur on April 20, 2042, crossing the southern part of Sumatra and northwest Kalimantan.

AP PHOTO/KHALIL HAMRA

A supermoon rose over Istanbul, Turkey, on Thursday (11/8/2022). As the moon's orbit approached the Earth, the supermoon appeared larger and brighter than usual.

Super moon

This conjunction also triggers the phenomenon of the super new moon aka super new moon. This event is the opposite of the super moon phenomenon, aka super moon. If the super moon occurs when the moon is full and its effects can be seen because it makes the moon a little brighter and bigger, the super new moon occurs when the moon is off so it cannot be seen at all.

It is called a supermoon because the moon's position is still around its closest point to Earth or perigee. The change in distance between the moon and Earth is a consequence of the moon's orbit path around the Earth, which is elliptical, not circular.

In this current new moon phase, the closest distance between the moon and earth, or perigee, will occur on Monday (8/4/2024) at 00:50 WIB. At that time, the moon will be at a distance of 358,850 kilometers. For comparison, the farthest distance between the moon and earth is around 405,000 km.

The terms super moon and super new moon are actually western astrological terms, not astronomical terms. This naming became popular after the 2000s following the development of the internet. In astronomy, a super new moon is called a dead moon at perigee and a super moon is named after a full moon at perigee.

Both super moon and super new moon have the same impact on the earth. The closer the moon is to the earth, the stronger the moon's gravitational force is on sea water on earth. As a consequence, the volume of sea water attracted by the moon's gravitational force increases, triggering an increase in sea level.

As quoted by Time and Date, super moon or super new moon only increases sea level by around 5 centimeters (cm) compared to normal high tide. .

As written by Kompas, 14 November 2016, sea level rise during the supermoon or supermoon phenomenon increases by 10-20 centimeters compared to tides on normal days. Areas located in narrow gaps between land masses will experience higher sea level rise than areas located near open water.

With the rise of sea levels to that extent, the community is expected not to worry excessively. If this phenomenon is combined with the natural event of La Nina and storms at sea, then the height of sea levels can indeed increase even more. Moreover, if heavy rain occurs on land and water flows into the sea, then the combination of various events can trigger floods and tidal waves in coastal areas.

Therefore, the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency has urged residents living in coastal areas and flood-prone areas to be vigilant. Especially now, as rain is still falling in several regions.

The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) also stated that super moon and super new moon will not increase Earth's tectonic activity. The increase in the moon's gravitational force will not affect the energy balance within the earth because sea tides are a phenomenon that occurs every day.

Super full moons and super dead moons are actually routine natural events. Throughout 2024, there will be three super new moon phenomena, namely on February 10, March 10 and April 9. The super moon event also took place three times, namely on August 20, September 18 and October 17. The rest, full moon or dead moon occurs when the moon is at its furthest distance from the earth or apogee.

Also read: Eid al-Fitr 2024 Most likely the same

From the arrival of Eid al-Fitr celebrations, solar eclipses, and the phenomenon of the super new moon, it is shown that celestial objects and their interactions have an impact or influence on life on earth, both directly and indirectly. Therefore, it is important to introduce the environment around us to children early on, including the space environment.