Hello all, I think important for islamic prayers is the Qibla. Under following URL you find the methods and formula and much background knowledge for calculating the prayer direction to Mecca, which is quite different due to the location you are staying.
http://www.sternwarte-recklinghausen.de/astronomie/islam.pdf In English you see similar brochures for the north american practice: http://moonsighting.com/qibla-wy.pdf http://patriot.net/~abdali/ftp/qibla.pdf best regards Josef Pastor > -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- > Von: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > koeln.de] Im Auftrag von Roger Bailey > Gesendet: Samstag, 17. September 2005 07:28 > An: David Lawrence; [email protected] > Betreff: RE: Is it possible to determine when the sun is due East & West? > > Hello David, > > > This doesn't answer your original question, the times that the sun is due > east or west. The east west line is easily established with primitive > methods like Indian or Hindu Circles, but as you noted, half the year the > sun will be below the horizon at these times. This is why I question the > interest in a time of prayer when the sun is on the prime vertical, east > or > west. The usual point of interest for Muslims is not east west but the > direction to Mecca. For this you need a Qibla Finder. Arabic astrolabes > were > designed for this specific purpose. There are many options. > > Regards, > > Roger Bailey > Walking Shadow Designs > N 48.6 W 123.4 > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of David Lawrence > Sent: September 16, 2005 1:45 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Is it possible to determine when the sun is due East & West? > > > > At first sight, this looked like a 'trivial' request - but it very > quickly became apparent that I don't have enough knowledge, and so > I have joined this mailing-list in the hope of getting help from > people who may be more able to say whether it is even possible! > > I am located in Northern Ireland, and (knowing of my hobby-level > interest in Amateur Astronomy) - I was recently asked if it would > be possible to tell the exact time when the sun is DUE EAST & WEST. > > There is a local group of Muslim 'asylum-seekers', who have been > moved here from mainland Britain - and (as part of their religious > observance duties), they want to arrange prayer sessions whenever > the sun is precisely in both the due East and due West directions. > > Initially, I thought "Easy - just have a vertical stick (or any > simple 'nodus'), with some North/South/East/West markings on the > ground, and they can watch the shadow until it shows that time". > > However, two problems - (1) What if it is not sunny, and (2) Even > if it is sunny, what would they do during the Winter period, when > the sun will rise/set without reaching the East/West directions? > > My next thought was "OK, it should be possible to use a computer > program to calculate the times, for every day of the year" - BUT > the Muslim group will not accept any form of 'modern technology' > for this task, and insist that it must be done either by direct > observation or obvious mechanical means (apparently some type of > simple 'clockwork' will be OK for them, but nothing electronic). > > My question is therefore "Can the moment when the sun is exactly > due East or West be determined, in any way which will satisfy this > 'fundamentalist' Muslim group - or is it an impossible request? > > Any thoughts or suggestions from members will be much appreciated. > > Sincerely, > > David Lawrence. > > > -- > - > > - -
