Sun to Align Directly Above Holy Kaaba on Wednesday
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MAKKAH, July 14, Saudi Arabia Breaking News — The sun will align directly above the Holy Kaaba on Wednesday during a biannual astronomical phenomenon that provides one of the most accurate natural methods for determining the direction of the qibla.
The alignment will occur at local solar noon at exactly 12:26:44 p.m. Makkah time, when the sun’s rays fall vertically on the Holy Kaaba.
Majed Abu Zahra, director of the Jeddah Astronomy Society, said the phenomenon occurs twice each year when the sun reaches Makkah’s latitude and stands 90 degrees above the horizon.
At the moment of alignment, the sun’s position points directly toward the Kaaba from locations where it is visible, while the shadow of a vertical object points in the opposite direction.
The qibla can be verified by placing a straight vertical object on a level surface shortly before the alignment and observing the direction of the sun or shadow at the precise time.
Abu Zahra said the method is particularly valuable in locations far from Makkah. In nearby cities such as Jeddah, it can be used to confirm the accuracy of an existing qibla direction.
The alignment is a natural astronomical phenomenon caused by the apparent position of the sun coinciding with Makkah’s latitude.
