Moon reaches first quarter phase over Saudi Arabia's Northern Borders

The moon of Jumada al-Ula 1448 AH reached its first quarter phase in the skies of the Northern Borders region of Saudi Arabia. The lunar phase occurred at 19:13 Kingdom time, with half of the lunar disk illuminated by sunlight.

Adnan Khalifa, a member of the Astronomy and Space Club, noted that this phase occurs when the moon has completed approximately one-quarter of its orbit around the Earth since conjunction, forming a nearly right angle with the sun relative to Earth. This phase is considered an ideal time for astronomical observation and photography using binoculars and telescopes. The oblique angle of sunlight near the terminator line highlights lunar craters, highlands, and mountain ranges through the contrast of light and shadow.

During this stage, the moon remains high in the sky after sunset and is visible during the early hours of the night before setting around midnight. The illumination will gradually increase in the coming days until it reaches the full moon phase.