Summary for the New Crescent Moon in February 2026
The visibility of the new crescent moon for February (lunation number 1276) and
the potential start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan is shown in the table below. We have included Mecca (with
timings in Arabian Standard Time – AST or UTC+3 hours), Rabat† and Dakhla† (with timings in Western European
Time – WET or UTC+0 hours between Sunday February 15th and Sunday March 22nd) and New York (with timings in
Eastern Standard Time or EST – UTC−5 hours) for reference as well as a number of cities across the United Kingdom in
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Times of sunset (SS) and moonset (MS) are provided. Offsets from Universal Time are
also given. We have also added Jakarta (with timings in Western Indonesian Time – WIB or UTC+7 hours), Karachi
(with timings in Pakistan Standard Time – PKT or UTC+5 hours), Dhaka (with timings in Bangladesh Standard Time –
BST or UTC+6 hours), Cairo (with timings in Eastern European Time – EET or UTC+2 hours), Istanbul (with timings in
Eastern European Summer Time – EEST or UTC+3 hours), Cape Town (with timings in South African Standard Time;
SAST or UTC+2 hours), Lagos (with timings in West African Time; WAT or UTC+1 hour), and Los Angeles (with
timings in Pacific Standard Time or UTC−8 hours), to the list of cities for which data have been provided. An entry of
'**:**' indicates the setting phenomenon takes place the following day. Please note that clocks go forward onto British
Summer Time on Sunday March 29th at 01:00 GMT in the United Kingdom.
Please note that there is an annular eclipse of the Sun on Saturday February 17th 2026. The path of
annularity begins over Wilkes Land in western Antarctica and ends halfway between the coast of western Antarctica
and south-western Australia. The partial phase is visible from the southern tip of South America, the South Atlantic
Ocean region and the south-eastern part of Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius and Reunion. The eclipse begins at 09:56 UT
and ends at 14:28 UT. The annular phase begins at 11:43 UT and ends at 12:41 UT. The maximum duration of
annularity is 2m 18s. This eclipse is not visible from the northern hemisphere.
The instant of new Moon takes place on Tuesday February 17th 2026 at 12:01 UT. Telescopic sightings of the crescent
moon with small, conventional amateur-sized telescopes are unlikely on Tuesday February 17th with the exception of the
Hawaiian Islands and parts of French Polynesia. Optical aid may be required to sight the crescent moon on Wednesday
February 18th to the west of the International Date Line and from northern Japan, New Guinea and north-western
Australia. Sightings with the naked eye under excellent conditions should be possible from the Philippines, Indonesia,
southern Russia, southern Africa, Madagascar and southern parts of South America. Easy sightings the same day should
be possible from south-western China, India, Pakistan, most of Africa, the middle East, south-western Asia, Europe
(including the British Isles), most of the Americas, and the eastern half of the Pacific Ocean. The following day,
Thursday February 19th, most of the globe should be able to make easy sightings of the crescent moon. More detailed
descriptions are given below.
For those observers in Indonesia excellent conditions will be required to sight the new crescent Moon on February 18th.
Sightings in southernmost parts of Africa may be possible with optical aid on the same day. The remaining locations
tabulated below should be able to make easy sightings of the new crescent moon the same day. The most likely dates for
the first easy naked-eye sightings of the month at a given location are shaded pink in the table below. Sightings that may
require perfect conditions are shaded khaki and those requiring optical assistance are shaded brown.
† – The time offset information for Rabat, Morocco and Dakhla, Western Sahara is subject to confirmation.
Visibility of the New Crescent Moon from selected locations
Visibility of the New Crescent Moon in February 2026
Tuesday
Wednesday Thursday Friday
Location 17th th
18 February 19th February 20th February
February
Mecca Easily Visible Easily Visible Easily Visible
Times in AST Not Visible SS: 18:20 SS: 18:20 SS: 18:21
i.e. UTC+3hr MS: 19:19 MS: 20:15 MS: 21:13
Rabat Easily Visible Easily Visible Easily Visible
Times in WET Not Visible SS: 18:14 SS: 18:15 SS: 18:16
i.e. UTC+0hr MS: 19:27 MS: 20:32 MS: 21:37
Dakhla Easily Visible Easily Visible Easily Visible
Times in WET Not Visible SS: 19:01 SS: 19:02 SS: 19:02
i.e. UTC+0hr MS: 20:10 MS: 21:08 MS: 22:07
New York Easily Visible Easily Visible Easily Visible
Times in EST Not Visible SS: 17:34 SS: 17:35 SS: 17:37
i.e. UTC-5hr MS: 19:05 MS: 20:15 MS: 21:26
London Easily Visible Easily Visible Easily Visible
Times in GMT Not Visible SS: 17:21 SS: 17:23 SS: 17:25
i.e. UTC+0hr MS: 18:47 MS: 20:08 MS: 21:31
Cardiff Easily Visible Easily Visible Easily Visible
Times in GMT Not Visible SS: 17:33 SS: 17:35 SS: 17:37
i.e. UTC+0hr MS: 19:00 MS: 20:21 MS: 21:44
Birmingham Easily Visible Easily Visible Easily Visible
Times in GMT Not Visible SS: 17:26 SS: 17:28 SS: 17:30
i.e. UTC+0hr MS: 18:53 MS: 20:15 MS: 21:40
Leicester Easily Visible Easily Visible Easily Visible
Times in GMT Not Visible SS: 17:22 SS: 17:24 SS: 17:26
i.e. UTC+0hr MS: 18:50 MS: 20:12 MS: 21:37
Sheffield Easily Visible Easily Visible Easily Visible
Times in GMT Not Visible SS: 17:23 SS: 17:24 SS: 17:26
i.e. UTC+0hr MS: 18:51 MS: 20:14 MS: 21:40
Manchester Easily Visible Easily Visible Easily Visible
Times in GMT Not Visible SS: 17:25 SS: 17:27 SS: 17:29
i.e. UTC+0hr MS: 18:54 MS: 20:18 MS: 21:43
Bradford Easily Visible Easily Visible Easily Visible
Times in GMT Not Visible SS: 17:23 SS: 17:25 SS: 17:27
i.e. UTC+0hr MS: 18:51 MS: 20:16 MS: 21:42
Leeds Easily Visible Easily Visible Easily Visible
Times in GMT Not Visible SS: 17:22 SS: 17:24 SS: 17:26
i.e. UTC+0hr MS: 18:51 MS: 20:15 MS: 21:41
York Easily Visible Easily Visible Easily Visible
Times in GMT Not Visible SS: 17:20 SS: 17:22 SS: 17:24
i.e. UTC+0hr MS: 18:48 MS: 20:13 MS: 21:39
Belfast Easily Visible Easily Visible Easily Visible
Times in GMT Not Visible SS: 17:37 SS: 17:40 SS: 17:42
i.e. UTC+0hr MS: 19:08 MS: 20:34 MS: 22:01
Newcastle Easily Visible Easily Visible Easily Visible
Times in GMT Not visible SS: 17:19 SS: 17:21 SS: 17:23
i.e. UTC+0hr MS: 18:49 MS: 20:15 MS: 21:43
Glasgow Easily Visible Easily Visible Easily Visible
Times in GMT Not visible SS: 17:28 SS: 17:30 SS: 17:32
i.e. UTC+0hr MS: 18:59 MS: 20:27 MS: 21:56
Jakarta Visible in perfect
Easily Visible Easily Visible
Times in WIB conditions
Not Visible SS: 18:15 SS: 18:15
SS: 18:15
i.e. UTC+7hr MS: 18:55
MS: 19:37 MS: 20:20
Karachi Easily Visible Easily Visible Easily Visible
Times in PKT Not Visible SS: 18:28 SS: 18:29 SS: 18:29
i.e. UTC+5hr MS: 19:24 MS: 20:22 MS: 21:22
Dhaka Easily Visible Easily Visible Easily Visible
Times in BST Not Visible SS: 17:55 SS: 17:56 SS: 17:57
i.e. UTC+6hr MS: 18:47 MS: 19:45 MS: 20:44
Cairo Easily Visible Easily Visible Easily Visible
Times in EET Not Visible SS: 17:46 SS: 17:47 SS: 17:47
i.e. UTC+2hr MS: 18:50 MS: 19:52 MS: 20:55
Istanbul Easily Visible Easily Visible Easily Visible
Times in EEST Not Visible SS: 18:42 SS: 18:43 SS: 18:44
i.e. UTC+3hr MS: 19:53 MS: 21:03 MS: 22:14
Cape Town May need optical
Easily Visible Easily Visible
Times in SAST aid
Not visible SS: 19:35 SS: 19:33
SS: 19:36
i.e. UTC+2hr MS: 20:11
MS: 20:38 MS: 21:06
Lagos Easily Visible Easily Visible Easily Visible
Times in WAT Not Visible SS: 18:58 SS: 18:59 SS: 18:59
i.e. UTC+1hr MS: 19:56 MS: 20:45 MS: 21:34
Los Angeles Easily Visible Easily Visible Easily Visible
Times in PST Not Visible SS: 17:40 SS: 17:41 SS: 17:42
i.e. UTC-8hr MS: 19:13 MS: 20:17 MS: 21:24
New Crescent Moon Visibility Maps for February 2026
1) – Tuesday February 17th 2026: The old crescent moon is still technically visible eastwards of longitudes between
75° east (in the northern hemisphere) and 120° east (in the southern hemisphere) within the region with purple shading.
The Moon sets before the Sun over most of Asia and Oceania. Telescopic sightings of the crescent moon with small,
conventional amateur-sized telescopes are possible on February 17th from the Hawaiian Islands and northern parts of
French Polynesia. Optical aid may be needed to find the crescent moon the same day from the region of the International
Date Line close to 20° north. It is unlikely any naked-eye sighting of the crescent moon will be possible from anywhere
in the world on February 17th.
2) – Wednesday February 18th 2026: Optical aid may be needed to see the crescent moon on February 18th from the
western Pacific Ocean region, northern Japan, western Asia, New Guinea and north-western Australia, the southernmost
parts of South Africa and southern parts of South America. The crescent may be visible under perfect conditions from the
Philippines, most of Indonesia, Madagascar, southern Africa, most of China, southern Russia, and southern parts of
South America. Easy sightings of the crescent moon should be possible from northern parts of South-East Asia, India,
south-western Asia, the Middle East, Europe (including the British Isles) most of Africa and most of the Americas. Most
of the tabulated locations will be able to make an easy sighting of the crescent Moon. The two exceptions are Jakarta,
where the moon may be visible under excellent conditions and Cape Town, where optical aid may be required to sight
the crescent moon.
3) – Thursday February 19th 2026: The crescent moon should be easily visible to the naked eye on a global basis. The
only exception may be the South Island of New Zealand where any sighting with the naked eye may require excellent
conditions or an easy sighting could be made the following day.
© Crown Copyright 2008-2026
E-mail: customerservices@[Link]
Last modified: Wednesday, 21 January 2026 at [Link] GMT
HMNAOWEB700
