Riyadh: The first-quarter moon of the Hijri month of Safar 1448 illuminated the skies over the Northern Borders Region on Tuesday evening. The celestial display was visible to the naked eye after sunset, with half of the lunar disk illuminated. This event marks about one week since the start of the lunar month and is one of the most prominent phases of the Moon's monthly cycle.

According to Saudi Press Agency, Chairman of the Space and Astronomy Association Zahi Al-Khulaiwi explained that the first-quarter phase occurs when the Moon forms an angle of about 90 degrees with the Earth and the Sun. This positioning results in approximately 50% of its Earth-facing side being illuminated.

Al-Khulaiwi noted that this phase is considered one of the best times to observe the Moon's surface features. The boundary between light and shadow highlights the details of craters, mountains, and lunar plains more clearly than during other lunar phases.