A rare astronomical phenomenon will take place on Thursday, May 28, when the Sun will pass directly overhead the Kaaba in Makkah at midday, according to the Jeddah Astronomical Society.
As reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the phenomenon is expected to occur at exactly 12:18 PM local time. This will be the first time this year that the Sun aligns directly above the Kaaba.
Astronomers have explained that the event occurs when the Sun’s apparent path matches the latitude of the Kaaba while moving across the equatorial region.
At that moment, the Sun appears almost vertically above the holy site of the Kaaba.
The society has also noted that this phenomenon takes place twice every year. This happens usually in late May and mid-July.
During the alignment, vertical objects cast very short shadows or nearly no shadows at all for a brief period.
Chairman of the Jeddah Astronomical Society, Engineer Majed Abu Zahra, said the event is scientifically important.
This is because it provides a natural method for determining the direction of the Qibla without the need for modern instruments.
He explained that people can identify the direction of the Kaaba through simple observations during the solar alignment, making it a practical reference point used for centuries.
In the past times before there were modern navigation systems, people traditionally used this phenomenon to determine the Qibla direction.
People would place a stick upright in the ground and watch its shadow during the moment of alignment. The opposite direction of the shadow would indicate the direction of the Kaaba.
The event happens when sunlight falls almost vertically over the Kaaba at a near 90-degree angle. This caused shadows to become extremely short or temporarily disappear.
Astronomers say this unique solar positioning serves as a scientifically significant reference point for geographical orientation.
