CAIRO - 25 May 2026: The skies above Mecca will witness the phenomenon of the sun being directly overhead the Kaaba on Thursday, May 28, 2026, coinciding with approximately noon, at 12:18 PM Mecca time.
Thursday will coincide with the second day of Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice).
The Jeddah Astronomical Society revealed in a report: The phenomenon of the sun being directly overhead the Kaaba is a precise astronomical event that attracts widespread attention from those interested in determining the direction of the Qibla (the direction of prayer).
It provides an opportunity to directly verify the accuracy of geographical and astronomical calculations without the need for complex instruments, as the sun reaches its apparent position directly above the Kaaba, and its rays are almost perpendicular to it.
To clarify, astronomical calculations indicate that the sun's altitude on Wednesday, May 27, will be 89.89°, a difference of 0.11° from being directly overhead the Kaaba, which is equivalent to 6.6 arcminutes from an angle of 90°.
On Thursday, May 28th, the sun's altitude will reach 89.94°, just 0.06° away from being directly overhead, equivalent to 3.6 arcminutes. This makes it the day closest to the sun being directly overhead the Kaaba.
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