Time Frame: New moon rising


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On September 29, 2008, 10-year-old Khaled Dhafer joined a group of fellow stargazers near the summit of Al Ain’s Jebel Hafeet.

They had gathered to observe the appearance of the hilal, or new moon, whose sighting heralds the end of Ramadan and with it the arrival of Eid Al Fitr, the festival of the breaking of the fast.

Whether Khaled was successful in his observation hasn’t been recorded, but when Ramadan falls during summer, heat, humidity, haze and dust can make hilal observations difficult, something that’s exacerbated by the new moon’s faintness and the brevity of its ­appearance.

The telescope in this picture was set up by the Green Emirates Mobile ­Observatory, a voluntary outreach programme that travels throughout the UAE in a 4x4, introducing astronomy to the public.

Earlier this year the Observatory celebrated its 14th anniversary and with it the inauguration of its very latest piece of equipment. With its 610mm mirror and a focal length of more than 3.6 metres, the Corrected Dall-Kirkham telescope can capture 8,000 times more light than the unaided human eye, which should make future sightings of the hilal significantly less difficult.

* Nick Leech

Profile

Company name: Jaib

Started: January 2018

Co-founders: Fouad Jeryes and Sinan Taifour

Based: Jordan

Sector: FinTech

Total transactions: over $800,000 since January, 2018

Investors in Jaib's mother company Alpha Apps: Aramex and 500 Startups

PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES

All kick-off times UAE ( 4 GMT)

Saturday
Liverpool v Manchester United - 3.30pm
Burnley v West Ham United - 6pm
Crystal Palace v Chelsea - 6pm
Manchester City v Stoke City - 6pm
Swansea City v Huddersfield Town - 6pm
Tottenham Hotspur v Bournemouth - 6pm
Watford v Arsenal - 8.30pm

Sunday
Brighton and Hove Albion v Everton - 4.30pm
Southampton v Newcastle United - 7pm

Monday
Leicester City v West Bromwich Albion - 11pm

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence