Muslims around the world are counting down the hours until Saturday, May 27, which is set to mark the first day of Ramadan.
This year, the start of Ramadan will be all the more special, as Islam's most sacred site, the Kaaba, is expected to witness a unique solar phenomenon.
The National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics in Egypt (NRIAG) has announced that on the first day of Ramadan this year, the sun will be directed towards the Kaaba anywhere on Earth, according to Al Arabiya.
The institute announced that at 12:18 local Mecca time this Saturday, during noon prayer, the sun will be aligned perpendicularly over the Kaaba, the holy monument in the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca where Muslims perform annual pilgrimage.
This means that the shadow of the Kaaba will totally disappear at noon.
Additionally, at any point in the world, the direction of the sun will coincide with the direction of the Qiblah - the direction Muslims are expected to face while performing prayer, which is towards the Kaaba.
While this phenomenon occurs twice a year, with the second time happening in July, the significance of this year's first occurrence lies in the fact that it is coinciding with the first noon prayer in Ramadan.
This wouldn't be the first time Ramadan coincides with a unique natural phenomena. In 2003, the holy month aligned with an unusual celestial event, during which solar and lunar eclipses occurred during the same month
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