The sun directly above the Kaaba will occur again on July 15, 2022 or next week. This is an important moment for Muslims, to check the Qibla direction again.
The Kaaba which is located in the middle of the Grand Mosque, Saudi Arabia, or to be more precise, is at the coordinates of 21°25'20.91" N which is between 23°26'N and 23°26'LS, so that on certain, the Sun will be above the Kaaba at noon.
This event will take place twice a year. Previously it took place on 28 May, so 15 July is the last opportunity to adjust the Qibla direction this year.
This is because the Earth's axis of rotation is tilted 66°34' with respect to the Earth's orbital plane (or ecliptic), so it experiences an annual apparent movement that varies between -23°26' to +23°26' with respect to the equator.
This variation in apparent annual movement is also known as the declination of the sun. When that happens it will be of equal value or a small difference to the observer's geographic latitude.
That means, the Sun will be directly above the observer's head (or zenith) at noon, so this phenomenon is also known as the Great Culmination (Istiwa'ul A'zham).
"The great culmination that occurs at the Kaaba can be used to check and straighten the Qibla direction, this is because the shadow of the object formed will point towards the Kaaba when the Sun is above the Kaaba," he said.
In astronomy, the Great Culmination at the Kaaba or the Sun above the Kaaba is also known as Rashdul Qiblah which means straightening the direction of Qibla.
The sun over the Kaaba, the event to readjust the Qibla direction. Photo: BRIN
The time of the event of the Sun directly above the Kaaba:
May 28, 2022
03:01:42 Saudi Arabian time or 07:12:58 WIB
15 July 2022
23:01:42 Saudi Arabian time or 03:01:42 WIB on 16 July 2022.
But at both times, the Sun is still below the horizon, so the closest midday is:
May 28, 2022
12:17:59 Saudi Arabia time or 16:17:59 WIB/ 17:17:59 WITA/ 18:17:59 WIT
15 July 2022
12:26:42 WITA or 16:26:42 WIT/ 17:26:42 WITA/ 18:26:42 WIT
These two dates and times can be used to re-check the Qibla direction at the mosque/violation/surau/tajuk in your respective places.
