Arar, October 19, 2026, SPA -- The first-quarter Moon of Jumada Al-Ula 1448 AH appeared in the evening sky over Saudi Arabia's Northern Borders Region on Sunday, with sunlight illuminating half of its visible disk and offering astronomy enthusiasts an opportunity to observe and photograph the Moon's surface features and terrain.
Astronomy and Space Club member Adnan Khalifa said the Moon reached its first-quarter phase at 7:13 p.m. Saudi time. This phase occurs when the Moon has completed about a quarter of its orbit around Earth since the new Moon, placing it approximately 90 degrees from the Sun in the sky as viewed from Earth.
Consequently, half of the Moon's Earth-facing side appears illuminated, while the other half remains dark.
Khalifa noted that the first-quarter phase is among the best times to observe the Moon's surface through binoculars and telescopes. Sunlight falling at an oblique angle near the boundary between the illuminated and dark portions creates striking contrasts of light and shadow, bringing lunar craters, highlands, and mountain ranges into sharper view.
During this phase, the Moon appears high in the sky after sunset and remains in view through the early hours of the night before setting around midnight. Its visible portion will gradually grow over the coming days until the Moon reaches its full phase, Khalifa explained.
He said observing the Moon's changing phases offers an opportunity to deepen public understanding of astronomy, encouraging enthusiasts to photograph celestial objects and learn more about the phenomena associated with the Moon's orbit around Earth.