PBNU Releases Data on the New Moon for the Beginning of Dzulhijjah, Eid al-Adha Likely to Fall on the Same Date as Muhammadiyah
Jakarta, KOMPAS.com - The Falakiyah Institution of the Nahdlatul Ulama (LF PBNU) has released data on the new moon in anticipation of Dzulhijjah 1447 H through the ‘Brief Information on the Dzulhijjah 1447 H New Moon’ on 17 May 2026.
This calculated data is the result of calculations by LF PBNU conducted for 17 May 2026, carried out at the PBNU building in Jakarta. The calculation was carried out using the contemporary tahqiqi tadqiki ashri method of astronomical observation.
Meanwhile, the conjunction (ijtimak) will occur on 17 May 2026 at 03:03:02 WIB. The position of the setting sun is at 19 degrees 24 minutes 31 seconds north of the western point. The position of the new moon is at 27 degrees 04 minutes 56 seconds north of the western point, with the new moon’s position at 07 degrees 40 minutes 25 seconds north of the Sun. The smallest parameters of the new moon are found in the city of Merauke, South Papua Province.
The height of the new moon there reaches 3 degrees 15 minutes and the elongation of the new moon is 8 degrees 57 minutes, with the new moon being above the horizon for 16 minutes 10 seconds.
The data above shows that the new moon is already above the horizon and meets the criteria for visibility. This is because the height of the new moon is already above 3 degrees and the elongation is more than 6.4 degrees. In fact, in Aceh, the elongation already meets the Nahdlatul Ulama’s (QRNU) criteria for definitive visibility, which is above 9.9 degrees. This means that it is almost certain that the new month will begin the following day.
The data above indicates a high probability that the month of Dzulhijjah will begin the next day, given that the criteria for visibility, and even definitive visibility, have been met. Therefore, it is highly likely that 1 Dzulhijjah 1447 H will fall on 18 May 2026. Meanwhile, Eid al-Adha, 10 Dzulhijjah 1447 H, is predicted to fall on 27 May 2026.
The beginning of the month, or 1 Zulhijjah 1447 H, falls on 18 May 2026. As such, the Day of Arafah, or 9 Zulhijjah 1447 H, will fall on 26 May 2026. Quoted from the Muhammadiyah website, the determination of Eid al-Adha is based on the results of global astronomical calculations using the Global Calendar Parameters (PKG). This system is designed to create uniformity in determining the beginning of the Hijri month for Muslims around the world.