Arar, July 21, 2026, SPA -- The first-quarter moon of the Hijri month of Safar 1448 illuminated the skies over Northern Borders Region on Tuesday evening in a celestial display visible to the naked eye after sunset, with half of the lunar disk illuminated, marking about one week since the start of the lunar month and one of the most prominent phases of the Moon's monthly cycle.

Chairman of the Space and Astronomy Association Zahi Al-Khulaiwi said the first-quarter phase occurs when the Moon forms an angle of about 90 degrees with the Earth and the Sun, causing around 50% of its Earth-facing side to be illuminated.

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