When will 1 Muharram 1439 H begin?

The year of 1438 H. will end. Soon, we will enter the new of hijriah year 1439 H. According to calculations in the book Ittifaq Dzatil Bain, conjunction of the end of the lunar month at the end of the year will occur on Wednesday, September 20, 2017, at noon at 12:25:57 UTC + 7.

We describe the calculation of 1 Muharram 1439 H using the book of Ittifaq Dzatil Bain, with Condrodipo as the point of observation:

Calculation of 1 Muharram at Condrodipo, Gresik

The determination of the beginning of the month as well as the beginning of the year will be very interesting. why is that? because the height of crescent is low enough but slightly above the criteria of MABIMS. If calculated using the criteria M.Odeh crescent condition at Condrodipo on this month can not be seen (Not Possible).

Map of Crescent Visibility
Source : Accurate Times

Rukyatul hilal in condrodipo often results the appearance of a new moon. Though not a photographic image, but the result of the rukyatul hilal is still considered, and made as one of the basic determination of the beginning of the month in Indonesia.

Astronomers often mention that the moon with the criteria MABIMS very difficult to see, even impossible, but in reality the observers of rukyatul hilal not so. If the height of the hilal is above the criteria of MABIMS usually can be sure there is a report that Crescent is visible.

Further research is needed on this matter, which unites some opinions from various parties, astronomers, fiqh experts, and also the government.

1 muharram will occur on Thursday, 21 September 2017, it is based on MABIMS criteria, but for certainty we should follow the government's decision. Below! Simulation of rukyatul hilal 1 Muharram 1439 H in Condrodipo Gresik.

Simulation of Sunset at Condrodipo
Source : Stellarium

Simulation of Rukyatul Hilal at Condrodipo

Source : Stellarium

The Pole of Earth and The Point of Compass

The Poles
Pole are defined as an axis, the polar division of the earth exists a variety, including the magnetic poles of the earth and the geographical poles of the earth:

The Poles of the Earth
Source : http://www.calendarinthesky.org

1. Earth's Magnetic Pole
Have you ever had a compass? the compass you have will show you the direction of North, East, South and West. This direction is a magnetic direction. The direction indicated by the compass is the result of the pulling force of the Earth's magnetic poles.
The Earth's magnetic pole is not right at the Earth's axis, the Earth's magnetic pole position is fluid, the North direction is indicated as a magnetic North that is affected by the gravitational pull force of the earth, so it has a different value every day, and every where.

2. Earth's Geography Pole
This pole is the original axis of the earth, its position remains at one point, and does not change. The polar position is at 90 degrees from the Equator (North Pole), and also -90 degrees from the Equator (South Pole). The rotation motion of the earth for approximately 24 hours rotates through this axis.

Inclination and Declination of The Compass
Source : http://digilander.libero.it

Compass is a tool that use the magnetic poles of the earth. Although the compass does not show the right direction, it can still be used accurately (leading to Earth's geographical poles) with some corrections, such as declination and inclination.
Magnetic declination is a horizontal shift toward the east or the west. Magnetic Inclination is a vertical shift toward the north or east direction of the compass. The value of this declination changes every day, we can check at Magnetic Declination. Meanwhile, the inclination value varies everywhere, depending on the position of the compass in the latitude. If the compass is in the southern latitudes, then the inclination of the compass will lean towards the south, and vice versa.

Points of The Compass

Points of The Compass
Source : https://en.wikipedia.org

Point of Compass is a guide to determine direction, usually used in Navigation system. There are 8 principle directions in this point of the compass system. Namely : North, Northeast, East, Southeast, South, Southwest, West, Northwest.
There are several ways to know the true winds, one of them is by using a compass as I mentioned above. Another way is to use the Sun :

1. Shortest shadow
Plug the stick to the ground in a flat position. With this method we are only looking for the shortest shadow when meridian pass/zawal (Sun at the zenith point), then we see the Sun declination value, if the declination of the Northern Sun is positive, so the shadow of the Sun points south direction, if the declination is South or the value is negative, so the shadow of the Sun leads North direction. But this method has a weakness, if the Sun is right above where we are, so there will be no shadow.

2. Shadows before and after Merpass / zawal
Plug the stick to the ground in a flat position, then make 1 to 3 circles around the stick with the stick as the center point. Observe before merpass, and observe the shadow that the end of the line touching the circle lines you have created. And make a point on the tangent. Observe after merpass, and observe the shadow that the end of the line touching the circle lines you have created. And make a point on the allusion. Connect the 2 points. The first point shows the true West direction, the second point shows of the true East direction.

3. Use the azimutal value of the Sun
This method is practically easier, but this method uses calculations. the first way is Shooting the Sun, then Counting the azimut of the Sun and then pointing towards 0 value (True North).

The above ways will be explained in another article.

The Universe is Not a God

The feast of Eid al-Adha is a day to commemorate the Prophet Ibrahim's incident that is willing to slaughter his son, the prophet who is willing to do anything for the sake of his God. God of the universe, the God who created the heavens, the earth and the whole.

Allah is the creator of this universe

In addition to the story of slaughter of Prophet Ismail by Prophet Ibrahim, there is something quite interesting from the story of the prophet Ibrahim, that is when the journey of Prophet Ibrahim looking for his God. Prophet Ibrahim traveled for days to seek his God, and he observed all the objects of the universe, from the stars, the moon and the Sun. this story is in the Qur'an Surah Al-An'am verse 75-79 :

Verse 75 :

وَكَذَلِكَ نُرِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ مَلَكُوتَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأرْضِ وَلِيَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُوقِنِينَ

"And thus We show Abraham the signs of the glory (We who are) in the heavens and the earth, and (We show them) that Ibrahim is of the believers."

Verse 76 :

فلما جن عليه الليل رأى كوكبا قال هذا ربي فلما أفل قال لا أحب الآفلين

"When the night has darkened, he sees a star (then) he says: "This is my Lord" But when the star drowned he said: "I do not like the drowning ones".

Verse 77 :

فلما رأى القمر بازغا قال هذا ربي فلما أفل قال لئن لم القوم الضالين

"Then when he saw the rising moon he said:" This is my Lord ". But when the moon sets, he says: "If my Lord has not guided me, I will be among the heretics."

Verse 78 :

فلما رأى الشمس بازغة قال هذا ربي هذا أكبر فلما أفلت قال يا قوم إني بريء مما تشركون

"Then when he saw the rising sun he said:" This is my Lord, this is the greater one ", so when the sun sets, he says:" O my people! I am detached from what ye associate (the Sun). "


Verse : 79

إني وجهت وجهي للذي فطر السماوات والأرض حنيفا وما أنا من المشركين

"Verily I have exposed myself to the Lord who created the heavens and the earth tending to true religion, and I am not of those who associate the God."

Explanation :
In the above verses, Allah ordered the Prophet Muhammad to narrate the propagation of Prophet Ibrahim who invites humans to be religious monotheism and avoids the worship of a statue that brings human to error, accompanied by strong reasons and evidence. The universe and all its contents are powerful to prove the unity of God and the wickedness of the idolaters (Musyrikiin).

Verse 75.
In this verse Allah gives an explanation again, how Allah revealed the majesty of his creation in the heavens and the earth. Allah revealed to Ibrahim the heavenly bodies of varying shapes and arrangements, all of them circulating according to each rule on a regular basis. Earth consisting of layers that contain lots of minerals and jewelry, is very useful and give many benefit to humans.
All of that is a proof of Allah's majesty, which can be understood by human, by thinking according to his word (Al-Qur'an).
Allah also explains the purpose of the introduction of Ibrahim to the beauty of his creation, in order to be made evidences in preaching to unbelieving idolaters (Musyrikiin), and become a guide for him to be someone who truly believe in the unity of Allah.

Verse 76.
After that Allah explained the process of introducing Ibrahim to God in details explanation. first experience of Prophet Ibrahim when looking at the stars. at the time the stars appear to glow and when the star is not glowing.
Ibrahim saw a brightest star. Then the question arises in his heart. "Is this my Lord? But after the star sank and disappeared from his view, there was a belief that he was unhappy with the drowning and disappearing, let alone regarding it as God.

This was the reason of Ibrahim to break the faith of his people that "all that changed was not deserved to be a God". The conclusion of Ibrahim is the conclusion of the right way of thinking that accordance with nature. And anyone who makes same observations so they will produce same conclusion.

Verse 77.

This verse is similar to the previous verse. Allah also explains the observation of the Prophet Ibrahim against the luminous celestial bodies and the greater, it is the Moon.

After the Prophet Ibrahim saw the rising Moon, an impression came to his heart to say, "Is this my Lord?" Then after the moon sets out from the horizon and disappears from his view, he gives the same statement as when he saw the stars set, to his people to know that the Moon is also not God. The second statement of the prophet Ibrahim is more appealing than the first.

Verse 78.

Allah tells his stronger insinuation. That is the observation of the Prophet Abraham to the sun, the most luminous celestial bodies in the universe,

When he sees the sun rising on the horizon, he says "What I see now is my Lord, It is greater than the Stars and the Moon." But after the sun set and disappeared from his view, he issued a warning to his people: "O my people, actually I escape from what you worship."

This insinuation is the stronger insinuation to silence his people so that they do not make any argument to deny the truth brought by Ibrahim.

Verse 79.

After some of his observations Ibrahim devoted himself to worshiping to Allah who created the heavens and the earth.

Ibrahim tended to the religion of monotheism (a religion that held that God is one) and stated that other religions were void, and he was not among the polytheists. The Universe is not a God, and the God is the only one. 

Islamic Astronomy Software : Digital Falak

Android is a linux-based operating system for mobile phones such as smartphones and tablet PC. Android provides an opensouce platform for developers to create their own applications for use by a variety of mobile devices.

Android already has some changes starting from android version 1.1 to the current android version 7.0. Of course with the development and improvement of android, the users were involved to develop various applications, both for personal and public purposes.

Android development is also up in the field of Islamic Astronomy. The "Digital Falak" app is one of the applications of Islamic Astronomy based on android, created by Ahmad Tholhah Ma'ruf published in the Playstore. The application is made in 2012 but in 2014 this new application is released. And in the middle of 2015 this app is officially uploaded in Playstore and can be used by many people especially for android users. Download this app in Playstore or in Digital Falak Web
.

Digital Falak Icon

Digital Falak contains several programs, there is Prayer Time, Qibla Compass, Hijri Calendar, Location Data, and Istiwak Time.

Local Prayer Time and Masehi Calendar

• Prayer Time.
Prayer Time in this application displays some data that is: the time of salat Zuhr, Asar, Magrib, Isha, Imsak, Dawn (Fajr), Thulu, and Duha. Available in 2 time, local time and istiwak time. We can also adjust the criteria and ihtiyath time in the setting menu. The prayer time in this application also has the alarm for remember us to do pray.

Istiwa Prayer Time and Hijri Calendar

• Hijri Calendar
The Hijri calendar in Digital Falak uses the two-book method of making it by using "Fathu al-Rouf al-Manan" and "Nurul anwar". Users just choose which books to use in the settings menu. there is also Masehi/public Calendar

Qibla Compass and Rashdul Qibla Calculation

• The Qiblah Compass
The Qiblah compass is quite easy to understand especially for who do not know the calculation of the Islamic Astronomy, because in it already has a Qibla Compass program, the direction shown by the compass will face the qibla, but this application has a weakness, because the base of the compass using magnetic sensor, then this application is very influential with the magnetic force that surrounds the user.
The Qibla Compass feature also requires magnetic sensors, so for mobile devices that do not have magnetic sensors can not use this feature. Instead there is also a feature Rashdul Qibla calculation, the calculation of the time where the shadow of the Sun will face the qibla.

Location Data Menu

• Location data
Location data in digital falak can be used to find the latitude, longitude, height of place, time zone and place name according to the position in GPS. This data is always updated and can also update by using the internet after the phone is connected to the internet.

This application also there is a version of the website, we will discuss in the next article.

Operational Telescope : Ioptron Versa 108 ED APO OTA with Ioptron Minitower II-8300-2G Mount

A. The Parts

The Parts of OTA

1. Telescope Tubes

2. Objective Lenses
3. Lens Fence
4. Tube Clamps
5. Clamp Key
6. Focuser Hinges Key
7. Eyepiece Placement Hole
8. Focuser
9. Eyepiece Key
10. Focuser Key

The Part of Mount

1. Clamp Lock
2. Telescope Tube Clamps
3. Mount Hinges
4. Azimut / Horizontal Key
5. Screw Regulator of the Square
6. Southern Sign
7. Waterpass
8. Vertical Hinge Key
9. Balancing Counter Key
10. Iron Measuring Equilibrium
11. Load Balancer

The Button of Controller

B. Specifications
1. OTA (Optical Tube Assembly)
Aperture: 108mm
Focal Length: 648mm
Ratio: F6
Lens Type: 2 elements Air-spaced ED S-FPL51 + S-NBM51 glass
Focuser: 2 ", 360 ° Rotatable 1:11 Crayford dual speed focuser
Tube Length: 535 mm (Fully Retractable)
Tube Weight: 12 lbs.

2. Mount
Mount: AltAzimuth Mount, Equatorial mount with special tripod
Body Materials: Aluminum
Motor: Dual-Axis DC Servomotor, DC12V
Speed: Dual-Axis, 9-Gear, Electronic (1 × 2 ×, 8 ×, 16 ×, 64 ×, 128 ×, 256 ×, 512 ×, MAX)
GPS: 32-channel GPS
GOTO System: GOTONOVATM 130,000 objects database
GOTO accuracy: 1 Arc Min. (Typical)
Tracking: Automatic
Battery: AA x 8 (Not Included)
Power Requirement: DC 12V ± 2V,> 1.2A
USB Port: Yes
Protocol : ASCOM
Firmware Upgrade: Yes
Computer Control: Yes

C. Usage

1. Installation (assemblying)
Installation of the device consists of a tripod, mount, telescope, ballast, hand controller, and others so that all installed properly and ready to operate.
One of the most important things in this step is balancing between the telescope with the balancer. The unbalanced state will affect the accuracy when tracking.
In addition, leveling (flattening position) of the tripod should also be considered, using the waterpas or (bubble level indicator) found on the bottom of the mount.

2. Initial Position Settings
Positioning the telescope on home position (parking position) or initial condition correctly. For the Ioptron MiniTower II telescope with Altazimuth Mode, the home position is facing the mount to the South and the OTA position is raised to the zenith. At this positioning stage the compass is required to show the exact South direction.

3. Operational
A. Set Up Controller
There are some important settings that need to be set:
1. Time
2. Time Zone
3. Coordinate Place
4. Mount type

B. Alignment
Although telescope already directed to the South and Zenith, but adjustments to the state of the sky (calibration) still needs to be done, because not necessarily our telescope is pointed to the South and Zenith appropriately.
There are several calibrations that can be done:
1. One Star Alignment
2. Two Star Alignmnet
3. Three Star Alignment
4. Polaris Position Alignment
The suggested calibration is calibration with 3 stars or with Polaris, but for locations with southern latitudes, Polaris calibration can not be used, because Polaris stars can not be observed in the southern latitudes.
Calibration of 3 stars can only be used at nighttime, in the daytime no stars can be observed cause the stars beaten by the sun, so for daytime observation, or Crescent observation for "rukyatul hilal", can be done  Sun Position calibration .
The calibration of the Sun position is not in the "One Star Alignment" menu, so we use another method, "Slew and Sync" menu, we navigate to the Sun in the "Select and Slew" option, then we sync the Sun's observations on the telescope lens with the "Sync to Target" option.

C. Tracking
After the data is loaded, and calibration is done, we can select the object to be observed by selecting "Select and Slew" menu. This menu provides various objects that can be observed. There are about 13,000 objects in this mount database. By pressing "enter" the tracking process can automatically be done.

Display on the Controller

D. Focusing

This stage is to be done to sharpen the image produced on the eyepiece lens, this stage is done by turning Focuser on OTA until our eyes feel comfortable to see the object, and the result object is not blur. Each observer's individual eye is different in focus settings, this is because of the possibility of eye defects in the eye's lens
.
E. Setup Tracking
The next stage is to set tracking speed, there are several options:
1. Sidereal Speed ​​/ Celestial Speed, observations for the stars
2. Solar Speed, Observations for the Sun and the Planet

3. Lunar Speed, Observation for the Moon / Crescent

Examples for Qibla Calculation in Indonesia

In the previous post has been explained little about the formula of the direction of qibla for the region in Indonesia. so all places in Indonesia can use that formula to serve as a determinant of Qibla direction. Visit this Link. Qibla Formula for Indonesia

In this post, we will give 3 examples of calculations, first at Istiqlal Mosque-Jakarta, Baiturrahman Mosque-Semarang and al-Akbar Mosque-Surabaya.

Coordinate of Ka'ba in Google Earth

These 3 examples will be calculated by the coordinates of the Ka'ba that took from the Google Earth App. The coordinate of Ka'ba is 21˚ 25 '33,67" N and 39˚ 49 '33.27" E.

1. Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta

Coordinate of Istiqlal in Google Earth

Qibla Calculation For Istiqlal Mosque :
a. Latitude: 6˚ 13' 00,97" S
b. Longitude: 106˚ 50' 11,54" E

Istiqlal Qibla Direction

c. λd = (λx - λx). = (106˚ 50' 11,54" -39˚ 49 '33.27") = 67˚ 0' 38,27"
d. Cotan QD = Tan φk * Cos φx / Sin λd - Sin φx / Tan λd.
Cotan QD = Tan 21˚ 25 '33,67" * Cos -6˚ 13' 00,97" / Sin 67˚ 0' 38,27" - Sin -6˚ 13' 00,97" / Tan 67˚ 0' 38,27".
QD = 64˚ 50' 23,85"
e. QA = 360 - QD
QA = 360 - 64˚ 50' 23,85"
QA = 295˚ 09' 36,15"

2. Baiturrahman Mosque, Semarang

Coordinate of Baiturrahman in Google Earth

Qibla Calculation For Baiturrahman Mosque:
a. Latitude: 6˚ 59' 00,23" S
b. Longitude: 110˚ 26' 45,67" E

Baiturrahman Qibla Direction

c. λd = (λx - λx). = (110˚ 26' 45,67" -39˚ 49 '33.27") = 70˚ 37' 12,4"
d. Cotan QD = Tan φk * Cos φx / Sin λd - Sin φx / Tan λd.
Cotan QD = Tan 21˚ 25 '33,67" * Cos -6˚ 59' 00,23" / Sin 70˚ 37' 12,4" - Sin -6˚ 59' 00,23" / Tan 70˚ 37' 12,4".
QD = 65˚ 30' 9,32"
e. QA = 360 - QD
QA = 360 - 65˚ 30' 9,32"
QA = 294˚ 29' 50,67"

3. al-Akbar Mosque, Surabaya

Coordinate al-Akbar Mosque from Google Earth

Qibla Calculation For al-Akbar Mosque :
a. Latitude: 7˚ 20' 10,95" S
b. Longitude: 112˚ 42' 54,29" E

Al-Akbar Qibla Direction

c. λd = (λx - λx). = (112˚ 42' 54,29" -39˚ 49 '33.27") = 72˚ 53' 21,02"
d. Cotan QD = Tan φk * Cos φx / Sin λd - Sin φx / Tan λd.
Cotan QD = Tan 21˚ 25 '33,67" * Cos -7˚ 20' 10,95" / Sin 72˚ 53' 21,02" - Sin -7˚ 20' 10,95" / Tan 72˚ 53' 21,02".
QD = 65˚ 56' 13,92"
e. QA = 360 - QD
QA = 360 - 65˚ 56' 13,92"
QA = 294˚ 03' 46,08"

From the 3 examples above can be concluded that true the direction of the Indonesia is North West, its value is about 294 degrees.
Additional added :
- Remember! that the value of North latitude and East longitude is positive and the value of South latitude and West longitude is negative. Visit Spherical Earth System.
- In the trigonometry formula above use Cotangen formula, if you using a calculator or excel program can use :
For Excel Atan (1/(Tan φk *......)) or Atan((Tan φk *.......)^-1)
For the Scientific calculator change "Atan" with "Shiftan".

Calculation of Qibla Direction for Indonesian Places

Indonesian Map's

Indonesia is located on the east of the Ka'ba, and is in the south of the Ka'ba, so in logical direction, the direction of the qibla in Indonesia leads to the North West. there are some data that must be searched first to calculate the direction of qibla, that is:

1. Latitude of Ka'ba (φk)
2. Longitude of Ka'ba (λx)
3. Latitude Place (φx)
4. Longitude Place (λx)

For Latitude and Longitude data Ka'ba is usually constant / fixed, but some people vary in its determination, one of the Ka'ba coordinate value ​​used is 21˚ 25 ' 21,01" N and 39˚ 49' 34,33" E. For coordinate data for the place can be searched with various tools, such as GPS. visit this link. Determine Coordinate with GPS.

This calculation uses the assumption that the Earth is a sphere, so this way using the Spherical Algorithm theory. The steps must be taken as follows:

1. Finding the longitude difference (λd) with the formula : λd = (λx - λx).
2. Finding the qibla direction angle (QD) with the formula: Cotan QD = Tan φk * Cos φx / Sin λd - Sin φx / Tan λd.
3. Then finding qibla azimuth value (QA) with the formula: QA = 360 - QD

Average Qibla Azimuth of Indonesia

The direction of the Qiblah that we count, measured from the True North clockwise to the value of the azimuth angle. For the example calculations will be discussed at the next session.

The Change of Qibla Direction

Is it possible to change the direction of qibla ? may be. the direction of qibla still facing the Ka'ba in Mecca, but the direction that will shift. qibla direction may occur, this is caused by a shift in the earth's plate, or earthquake.

Source : www.emaze.com

In a study conducted by Yusfania, she explained about the shift location caused by the earthquake that occurred in Sumatra or the Indian Ocean, the study resulted in the conclusion that the earthquake that occurred in the Indian Ocean in April 2012 led to a position shift of 0.3 - 2.4 meters to North East.

This is a fact that we must accept, because if the position of a place changes, it will certainly change the coordinates of the place, and then it will have an impact on the shift in direction of the qiblah at someplace.

Earthquakes are very common, especially in Indonesia. Indonesia is a country with earthquake potential. This happens because the location of Indonesia which is the meeting center of the plates of the Earth, among others, Eurasia, the Philippines, Caroline, Indo-Australia, Pacific and several other minor plates (Hamilton: 1979). In addition, this earthquake is caused by tectonic activity of the plates. Plates it continues to move like the Eurasian and Indo-Australian plates which have an average moving northward, while the Philippine plate movements tend towards the northwest (Hamilton: 1979 in USGS: 2011). Associated with the philipine plate, the Caroline plate has a movement towards the southeast in part of Aru riverbed and towards the northwest in part of Yap riverbed (Seno: 1992 in USGS: 2011).

Therefore, in order to minimize the change of direction of the qibla at someplace, the direction of the qibla should be updated regularly. Because if the shift is collected caused by several earthquakes, then surely the impact will be great.

Renewal of the direction of the qibla should be done by experts, Islamic Astronomer, The Jurist and also Geodesy master. Intensive research should be made to the direction of the qibla at someplace that should also involve the community. So that the public knows about the facts of shifting the direction of qibla caused by a shift of the earth's plate, and for the public to be more careful.

Visit this link for the next discussion. The Change of Qibla Direction 2

Menus and Functions on GPS : Garmin 76 C/CSX

I will explain about some menus or functions on the GPS. This time I use GPS Garmin 76 C/CSX. Some GPS devices also have a similar functions.

GPS Garmin 76 C / 76 CSX

1. Key Functions

Inside GPS 76 C there are several buttons that work include to:
A. Power button: Turns the unit on or off. If this button is pressed and released, it can work to adjust the backlight.
B. Zoom In / Out button: To set the size of the scale.
C. Find Button: To go to find menu page and display mob.
D. Quit button: To cancel data entry or close the page.
E. Page or Compass button: To go to the main page and turn the electronic compass off.
F. Menu Button: To enter options, confirm messages or data on-screen. This button can also be used for marking Sign and Waypoint.
G. Rocker Keys: To start moving lists, highlight fields, on-screen buttons, icons, enter data or move to the map section.

2. Getting Satellite Data

For the process of revenue data from satellite, then we must pay attention to the place and condition around. It is advisable to use the GPS in the open and have a wide view. The weather conditions must also be in good condition. For the steps are:
A. Turn on the GPS by pressing the power button. If the GPS has been turned on then it will say "Welcome". The page will quickly face the satellite page.
B. Observe the satellite page and GPS status message when it appears at the top of the page, and soon it will look like a GPSmap. This indicates it will start to search for satellite exploitation status. Not long after that will automatically show our position (latitude and longitude). Visit Determine Coordinate of Place with GPS for more info.

3. Selecting a Page

For all required information or data can be found in four main pages (display screen). These pages include satellites, maps, pointers, and menus. The trick is to press the page button to find the pages.
A. Satellite page: provides a reference for tracked satellites.
B. Page trip computer: provides data and information related to the science of shipping.
C. Page map: provides a view of a map and reference our navigation movement.
D. Page compass: provides guidance for a purpose and direction.
E. Page altimeter: provides path and pressure elevation.
F. Main menu: an existing directory in GPS to specify other settings.

4. Define Waypoint

Waypoint is a marking of places obtained by satellites in a GPS. To mark a place, we can access in the Find Menu by:
A. Press the page button and select the menu page. Press the Up or Down button and select the "Mark" section.
B. Press the enter key. The mark waypoint page will appear with the word "OK?", Hit enter. Waypoint has been stored in GPS memory.

5. Go to the Waypoint Menu
To enter the waypoint we have marked, then we use the Go To facility. How to use it is:
A. Press the page button and select the menu page. Press Up or Down button and select "waypoint". Press Enter. The waypoint page will appear.
B. Press the Up or Down button and select the tab that contains the desired waypoint name and press Enter. The existing waypoint review page will appear.
C. Press Up or Down button to select "GoTo" and press Enter.

6. Exploration on a Waypoint
In the use of the "Go to" facility, we will be directed to follow the directions on the waypoint. The directions provided are N, S, E, W (North, South, East, West). If we cancel, we can use the compass pointing stick to divert the direction toward us. The steps are:
A. Press the page button repeatedly until the compass page is shown. This page contains a bookmark that marks the direction to go.
B. Press the quit button to move to the map page and watch our progress toward the waypoint. The pointer line will show the map and the position arrow movement as we move it.
C. Press the quit button again to move to the travel page. This page provides travel data such as a travel odometer, maximum speed, and more.
D. To stop navigation, press Menu then select stop navigation and then press Enter.

7. Cleaning Track Log
If we have used GPS for multiple trips, then the map view will be full because storing tracks or paths that we have been through. To use this facility the way is:
A. Press the page button and select the menu page.
B. Press Up or Down button and select "Tracks".
C. Press Enter. Use the Up button and select "Clear". Press Enter.

8. Using Map Page 
To use the map page can be done by:
A. Press the page button to go to the main page to the map page.
B. Press the menu button to navigate to the map page selection.
C. Start moving and observing the position arrow on the top of the map. Use the Rocker button to move and move highlights a map item or look into other map areas.

Determine The Coordinates of a Place with GPS.

In the calculation of Islamic Astronomy, the thing that is always required is the coordinates of a place. Many ways and tools can be used to know these coordinates. One of the most famous ways is using GPS (Global Positioning System)

GPS is a navigation and positioning radio system that utilizes satellites as a means of communication. This tool is usually used in vehicle navigation, be it land, sea or air vehicle. Ship and aircraft communication with the station is needed, in order to avoid accidents. GPS is used to know each ship or aircraft position, then reported to the tower / station supervisor at the nearest port or airport.

This GPS will monitor signals from satellites, then GPS will accept the position of the place be it latitude, longitude or altitude place on Earth.

In the Islamic Astronomy, GPS that easy to use is a type of handheld GPS that can be taken anywhere.

GPS has a different level of accuracy, depending on the brand and type of GPS. but overall the tool is quite accurate in determining the coordinates of a place or area.

In this explanation, I will practice using GPS Garmin 72H, but overall, various GPS has a similar way to operate GPS for coordinate determination. The way is :

1. Turn on the GPS in the field, not in the room, around tall buildings, tunnels, and dense forests.

2. Wait a while, about 1-3 minutes, so that GPS receives satellite to make configuration latitude, longitude and altitude data complete.

3. The minimum number of satellites captured to generate coordinates is 4 satellites. And wait a while until the "Location" or "Accuracy" sign shows the smallest number. That sign is the maximum error of the GPS point being, which is predicted by GPS satellite.

4. Then record the coordinates that appear.

Garmin GPS 72H
Souce : https://www.amazon.com

Example image above, the resulting coordinates are 38 degrees 51,498 minutes North Latitude (N) and 94 degrees 47.838 minutes West Longitude (W).

5. if you want to know the height of the place, press the "page" several times until entering on the page high information place.

Good luck!

Islamic Astronomy Tools : Celestron Nexstar 4 SE

In studying a science, of course there are theories and also field practice, studying physics and biology must definitely practice in the laboratory, learning sports science should definitely practice in the field, learning the language of science should also practice in the language laboratory.

The need for practice in learning a science is a necessity, as well as the science of Islamic Astronomy. according to some people's understanding, Islamic Astronomy deals with the calculations of heavenly bodies, but they are useless if they are not applied in the field. there are several tools that become the needs of the astronomers, one of which is the telescope. In Islamic Astronomy the telescope is usually used for rukyatul hilal (observing the crescent) in the determination of lunar calendar, or for eclipse observation.

Source : https://www.celestron.com

This time I will discuss a bit about the use and specifications of Celestron Nexstar 4 SE telescope.

CELESTRON NEXSTAR 4 SE

The telescope has two functions, the first of which serves as a horizontal telescope, and the second serves as an equatorial telescope. This is one of the advantages of this telescope. for the tube type is a reflector telescope with a cassegrain telescope design.

Telescope parts:

Source : https://www.celestron.com

1. Optical Tube, the main part of the telescope, in this section will occur light reflection, which will then produce images of distant objects.

2. Star Pointer Finderscope, this section serves to make it easier when shooting sky objects.

3. Eyepiece, this part is the ocular lens of the telescope, this lens can also be changed to adjust the magnification of the telescope.

4. Focuser Knob, this section is used to adjust the focus of the telescope image. This section should always be arranged, especially if we replace eyepiece or change of observer, so that picture is always sharp.

5. Threaded Photographic Adapter, an adapter for SLR / DSLR cameras that have been connected by T-ring

6. Flip Mirror Control, Flip Glass used for image selection, whether light is forwarded to the camera ?, or is reflected to eyepiece ?.

7. Battery Compartment, Battery Place, this telescope needs 8 batteries to run it.

8. Tripod, this part is the foot of the telescope that supports mounting and tubes. This section is also commonly used to regulate the flatness of the telescope.

9. Accessory Tray, place to put various accessory, like eyepiece, T-ring. On the side of the Accessory Tray there is a vertical stick, this stick is used to support when we will use the telescope with equatorial model.

Source : https://www.celestron.com

10. ON / OFF Switch, the button to turn the telescope on and off, beside this button is also an AC Adapter input which is used to run telescope without battery.

11. Hand Control, this part is a remote used to control the telescope.

12. Liquid Crystal Display, Screen on the remote, inside is also usually listed coordinates of the telescope and also objects observed celestial objects.

For how to use? please visit this link Operational Celestron NexStar 4SE.

Prayer Times Marker

Source : http://www.algonaefree.org

One of the valid conditions of prayer/salat is in time. The times of prayer have been arranged in the Qur'an and Hadith, namely in Surat al-Isra ': 78:

أقم الصلاة لدلوك الشمس إلى غسق الليل وقرءان الفجر إن قرءان الفجر كان مشهودا

Meaning:
Establish prayer from after the sun slip until dark of night and time of the Qur'anal Fajri. The Qur'anal Fajri is actually witnessed (Surat al-Isra`: 78)

According to the commentators, in this verse is mentioned the time of prayer that is after the sun slipped, the prayers of Dhuhur and Asr. While the dark night is the prayer of Maghrib and Isha` and Qur`anal Fajri is the prayer of Shubuh .

Whereas if you want to more specifically know the theorem about the times of prayer, we can refer to the hadith of Rasululah that saheeh and qath`i. Among these are the following hadith, which means:

From Jabir bin Abdullah ra. That the Prophet was approached by Gabriel and said to him, "Rise up and do the prayer." So he did the Dhuhur prayer when the sun slipped. Then as Asr approaches and Gabriel says, "Wake up and do the prayer." So he did the Asr prayer when the length of the shadow of all things equal to the length of the object. Then the time of Maghrib approaches and Gabriel says, "Wake up and do the prayer." So he performed the Maghrib prayer when the sun sets. Then Isha time comes and Gabriel says, "Wake up and do the prayer." Then he SAW perform the Isha' prayer when syafaq (red clouds) disappears. Then when Shubuh comes and Gabriel says, "Wake up and do the prayer." So he did the Shubuh prayer when dawn broke. (Ahmad, Nasai and Tirmizy.)

1. Fajr Prayer Time (Shubuh)

Starting from the appearance of "Fajr Shadiq/True Dawn" until the rising of the sun. The dawn in Arabic is not the sun. So when mentioned dawn, it is not sunrise. Dawn is a rather bright white light that spreads on the eastern horizon that comes just before sunrise.

There are two kinds of dawn, namely "Fajr Kazib/ False Dawn" and "Fajar Shadiq/ True Dawn". "Fajr Kazib" is the dawn that "lying" as the name implies. That is, in the early hours of the morning, there is a light that extends and leads up in the middle of the sky. Shaped like a wolf's tail, then the sky becomes dark again. That is "Fajr Kazib".

While the second dawn is "Fajr Shadiq", which is the dawn of a really dawn which is a rather bright white light that spreads on the eastern horizon that appears shortly before sunrise. This dawn marks the entry of the Shubuh time.

Simulation of Shubuh Time

While the end of the Shubuh time is the rising of the Sun.

In the science of astronomy, the position of the Sun is usually denoted in an altitude value. For the beginning of dawn itself varies, some are wearing a sun-height value of -20 degrees to -15 degrees below the horizon.

Difference of Shubuh Height Value

2. Dhuhur Prayer Time

Starting from the sun is just above the head but has started to slightly leaning towards the west. The term often used is the slipping of the sun. As free translation of the word "Zawalus Syamsi". But this term is often confusing because if it says that the "sun is slipping", some people will wrinkle his forehead, "What is the slipping of the sun?".

"Zawalus Syamsi" is the time at which the position of the sun is above our heads, but a little has begun to move westward. So not right above the head. Or in Arabic terms also known as Istiwa'.

Simulation of Dhuhur Time

The end of the prayer time of Dhuhur is when entering the time of the Asr prayer.

The value of the sun's height at the time of entry Dhuhur prayer is approaching 90 degrees.

3. Asr Prayer Time

There are some differences in starting this Asr prayer :

First opinion, Asr prayer begins when the shadow of an object is equal to the height of the object plus the shadow of the object when time Dhuhur. The value of the sun's height at this position is less than 45 degrees.

Second opinion, Asr prayer starts when the shadow of an object is equal to 2x height of the object plus the shadow of the object when time Dhuhur. The value of the sun's height at this position is about 26 degrees 34 minutes

Simulation of Asr Time

The third opinion of Asr prayer is Wustha prayer is the prayer performed in the middle between Dhuhr and Maghrib prayer. The value of the sun's height at this position is more or equal to 45 degrees

But the most famous opinion is the first opinion.

4. Maghrib Prayer Time

Starting from the setting of the sun and this has become the ijma` (agreement) of the scholars. That is since the loss of all the solar spheres in the swallow of the earth. And ended up entering the time Isha'.

Simulation of Maghrib Time

The value of the sun's height at the time of Maghrib prayer is approximately -1 degrees.

5. Isha' Prayer Time

Isha' prayer begins when the emergence of red clouds in the sky.
The value of the height of the sun is also different, there is a opinion that the height of the Sun during Isha' is -18 to -15 degrees below horizon.

Simulation of Shubuh Time

And the end of the Isha' prayer is when entering the time of Shubuh prayer.

Difference of Isha Height Value

Determine The Direction of Qibla with Google Earth

What's interesting about Google Earth? Of course a lot. For the layman, Google Earth is often used to look at photos of his house, or hometown through space. Of course it's nice to see his hometown clearly visible through Google Earth. Everyone in the world will be able to see it. But not the least disappointed, his hometown was not visible at all, whether it is covered by cloud or satellite has not updated the image.

But different from the astronomers. Google Earth is also usually used by them. The ability of Google Earth to identify the surface of the Earth and define it with the value of latitude and longitude make Google Earth useful as a pointer coordinate of a place and determining the direction of Qibla in some places.

How to find the coordinates and direction of Qibla?, Let's see the following explanation! Previously downloaded Google Earth software first! visit this link! Download.

Looking for coordinates somewhere.
1. Go to Google Earth
2. Search the city name in the search field
3. Move the pointer or mouse to where to look for the coordinates
4. See the coordinate values ​​at the bottom of the screen

Examples of searching for the coordinates of Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta, Indonesia and Ka'ba, Mecca, Saudi Arabia:

Coordinate of Istiqlal, Jakarta, Indonesia

Coordinate of Ka'ba, Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Looking for a Qibla direction somewhere
1. Open Google Earth
2. Find the place to search for the direction of the Qibla, also look for the Ka'ba.
3. Move to place area (place to search direction of Qibla)

4. Press the "ruler" button

5. Click on the area of ​​the mosque and drag the line to the ka'ba

6. Move to the place area again

7. see the results, we can also see the value of the azimuth Qibla in the column.

Good luck!

Rules facing to The Qiblah

Source : Google Earth Software

Understanding of the direction of Qiblah is very simple, because the problem of the direction of Qibla is only a directional problem, is the direction of the Ka'ba which is in Mecca and each place must have different direction in facing Qibla.

In simple terms it can be seen that the area in the South Kabah facing to the North, the area located in the North Kabah facing to the South, the area in the East Kabah facing to the West, the area in the West Kabah facing East,

If further clarified then the area located in the North East Kabah facing to the South West, the area located in the South East of the Kabah facing to the North West, the area located in the South West Kabah facing the North East and the area located in the North West Kabah facing South East.

It can be a bit complicated if we further see that the earth is round, then there must be a special calculation for it, but if in a state of urgency can use the logic above.

The meaning of Qiblah in language is derived from the word قبل- يقبل - قبلة, which means facing, whereas in term, the islamic astronomers define with the Direction closest to the Ka'ba, The direction in which Muslims confront their faces during the prayer.

So why should we face qibla ???

The scientist of the fiqh agree that facing the Qiblah in the prayer is a requirement of the validity of the prayer, as the syar'I proposition exists:

Allah has commanded this three times, namely in Al-Baqarah: 144,149 and 150:

قد نرى تقلب وجهك في السماء فلنولينك قبلة ترضاها فول وجهك شطر المسجد الحرام وحيث ما كنتم فولوا وجوهكم شطره وإن الذين أوتوا الكتاب ليعلمون أنه الحق من ربهم وما الله بغافل عما يعملون

and in the hadith :

 قال أبو هريرة رضي الله عنه: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: اذا قمت الي الصلاة فاسبغ الوضوء ثم استقبل القبلة وكبر. رواه   البخارى ومسلم

For people around the holy mosque overlooking the Ka'ba is not a problem because they easily do that. Then what about the people who are far away with the Grand Mosque even outside the city of Mecca. Are we still required to face the true Ka'ba? Or just with an estimate only?

The opinion of the scholars:

Imam As Syafi'i & Shi'a Imamiyah:
Obligatory to the Ka'ba itself, both for the near and far.
If you can know the direction of the Ka'ba itself (exact), then it must face in that direction. If not, then just with an estimate only. (az-Zuhaily, Tafsir Al-Munir, p. 234)

Imam Hambali, Maliki, Hanafi & some scholars of Shi'a Imamiyah:
The direction of qibla is the direction in which the Ka'ba is located, not the Ka'ba itself. (As Suyuthiy, Al Asybah Wa An Nazair, p. 116)

The clerical agreement
All scholars agree that the Ka'ba is a qibla for those who are close and can see it. But they differ on the qibla for the distant and can not see it. (as-Sya'rani, Al-Miizaan Al-Kubra p. 116)

Based on the strongness of prejudice, there are 3 methods in determining the direction of Qibla
1. Overlooking Qibla Sure
A person who is inside the Grand Mosque (Masjidil Haram) and sees the Ka'ba directly, must face himself to Qibla with confidence. This is also referred to as "Ain al-Ka'ba".

2. Overlooking Qibla Estimates
Someone who is outside the Grand Mosque so that they can not see the Ka'ba building, they are obliged to face the Grand Mosque as the intent of facing Qibla in a dzan or approximation is called "Jihat al-Ka'ba"

3. Facing Qibla with Ijtihad
Ijtihad can be used to determine the direction of Qibla from a place far from the Holy Mosque, such as someone outside the holy land of Mecca or even outside Saudi Arabia, the method used is "Jihat al-Qiblah"

Why should a mathematical approach in determining the direction of Qibla?
As long as there is a more accurate way why choose another less accurate way, In a qaidah ushul fiqh

لا عبرة بالظن البين خطؤه

"The theory or practice that is based on the zan (allegation) that is clearly wrong is not considered"

Total Solar Eclipse August 21, 2017

Today (August 22, 2017) is a special day for the United States and its surrounding communities, there will be a very rare eclipse of the Sun Total, among the cities that passed are Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Illionis, Kentucky, Tennesse, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

The partial eclipse phase will begin at 12:01 UTC-4. It reaches a maximum around 13:33 UTC-4 when the sun is 81% blocked by the moon. Partial eclipse ends at 15:00 UTC-4. For more details please visit NASA.

Total solar eclipse in the United States described the American Space Agency (NASA) through a video duration 04 minutes 25 seconds. The visualization contains details of eclipse location and explanation of why eclipses can occur. According to NASA, the eclipse will occur along 112 kilometers. In the video looks the line that seemed to divide the Land of Abang Sam from Oregon on the west coast of lau, to South Carolina on the northeast coast. See the following vidio:

One of the greatest features of a total solar eclipse happening in the United States today is to be the last eclipse for a long time, an eclipse of this type will happen 600 million years.

When the sky is dark you will feel the temperature down slightly. You may also be able to see and hear animals and insects going into their nightly cycles or nighttime routines. Remember that it can be a cloudy day but where you are, the sky will remain dark. More than a few days before, it would be difficult to know whether the sky might be cloudy or not.

Some things need to be a concern when the solar eclipse. Do not look directly at a partial solar eclipse. It can cause permanent damage to your eyes. Do not look through sunglasses, binoculars, or telescopes. You have to get special glasses known as "eclipse viewing glasses", if using binoculars or a telescope should also be equipped with special filters. Here's what you need to know in order to keep your eyes safe during an eclipse.

Do not forget also to perform the eclipse prayer !, please visit the following page for the Procedure of Performing The Eclipse Prayer.