things i didn't know

ok -- so the whole "which day does Ramadan start on?" thing was driving me crazy -- we have the earth's position pretty much figured out, in fact -- every year we need to decide if the earth slowed down enough to merit a leap-second due to all the sloshing around of oceans and tectonic plates, etc. so why can't we figure out which DAY Ramadan starts on?

The BBC reports: "The new Moon occurs after sunset within three days of the new lunar month - but the timing depends on the relative positions of the Sun, the Moon and the observer.

Models used to predict its location are accepted as accurate - but it's the visibility that is in doubt. In the Tropics, the Moon appears higher than locations further north. The further north the observer, the more likely it is to be low in the sky - and therefore obscured by the twilight.

"Over its 19-year cycle, the Moon ranges from -28.5 degrees to +28.5 degrees in its angle to the Earth's equator," says Dr Bell.

"This has a direct bearing on how easy it is to spot the new crescent Moon. Couple this with the relative positions of the Sun and the Moon, and it can be shown that tropical latitudes, such as those in Saudi Arabia or South East Asia, will see the new crescent Moon earlier than elsewhere."

wow. i learned something. i love it when reality is just a leetle bit more complex than our models.