Sunday 11/January/2026 – 04:57 PM
The moon of the month of Rajab will reach its last quarter phase this evening, Saturday, January 10, 2026, at 06:48 PM Mecca time and 03:48 PM GMT, and it will have completed about three-quarters of its orbit around the Earth since the moment of conjunction.
The moon is in last quarter
The Astronomical Society in Jeddah confirmed that the moon is seen in the sky of the Arab world after midnight, local time, where half of it appears illuminated while the other half is immersed in shadow. This scene is the distinctive feature of the last quarter phase, which is the last of the major lunar phases before the moon turns into a crescent at the end of the month in preparation for the new phase.
She added in a statement: The moon will be in a celestial conjunction with the defenseless star, the brightest star in the Virgo constellation, in a beautiful view that can be observed with the naked eye if the sky is clear, and it becomes even more beautiful using binoculars.
Watch after midnight
The last quarter phase is one of the best times to observe the terrain of the Moon’s surface using binoculars or small telescopes, as the line dividing light and shadow is very clear, which highlights mountains and craters and gives the surface a three-dimensional appearance. These conditions are also ideal for astronomical photography enthusiasts looking for fine details and prominent features.
As the end of the month approaches, the moon’s illumination will gradually decrease night after night, becoming a crescent that can be seen before sunrise before it reaches the conjunction position for the month of Shaban.
