By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa
The crescent moon marking the beginning of Ramadan will not be visible in Nigeria on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, according to astronomical projections.
Abubakar Simwal, an astronomer and member of the National Moonsighting Committee of Nigeria, said calculations indicate that the new moon will be too young and too low on the horizon to be sighted—either with the naked eye or through a standard telescope.
Based on these projections, he noted that the Islamic holy month is unlikely to commence on Wednesday, as earlier anticipated in some quarters.
“It is important to start by stating the astronomical data: The astronomical human conjunction of Ramadan moon will occur on Tuesday, 17 February In Sha Allah at 01:01pm(Nigerian local time). Meaning, by sunset on that day, the crescent will be less than 6 hours old in Nigeria, and the crescent will have about 2 degrees in different locations in Nigeria In Sha Allah,” he explained.
“The moon will set after the sun with an average time of about 9 minutes across Nigeria In Sha Allah,” Simwal added.
“With this data, it’s astronomically proven that the crescent will not be visible in Nigeria on Tuesday, 17 February, 2026, with the necked eye or even with the standard telescope. This calculations are done with utmost precision,” the astronaut declared.
However, the final decision on the official start of Ramadan in Nigeria will rest with the appropriate religious authority which is Sultan after the nationwide moonsighting exercise.
