Scientific View on Religious Events NaimanbayevM.A. | страница 2

24, 1582 established that October, 5 1582 should be followed with October 15, and
further leap, in addition to usual multiple for four, will be considered only those
century years, ending in two zeros, number of hundreds of years is divided into
four without remainder (1600, 2000, 2400), and other (1900, 2100) will be
considered as simple. Gregorian calendar was established finally, astronomically
more accurate than the Julian calendar. From the European countries Catholic ones
switched to the new style immediately, the Protestant ones in XVIII century:
Northern Germany, Denmark and Norway since 1700, England since 1752,
Sweden since 1753; Orthodox countries switched to this calendar only in the early
ХХ century: Bulgaria since 1916, Russia since February 1/14, 1918, Serbia and
Romania since 1919, Greece since 1924.
Islamic calendar features
There are 12 lunar months in the year it is about 354 days, which is 10 or 11
days less than in solar year. For this reason, the days of Muslim religious holidays
are shifted relatively to the Gregorian calendar each year. Day, according to
Muslim calendar begins at the moment of sunset, not at midnight as it is in the
Gregorian calendar.
There are 29 or 30 days in a month. Traditionally, the first day of the new
month is the first day after the astronomical new moon, in which Crescent moon
can be seen soon after sunset in the sky. If the Crescent was not visible after the
29th day of the month, for example, due to clouds or because moon came
immediately after the sun, and sky was still too bright, then new day was
considered to be the 30th day of the current month.
This system is still in use in some countries, such as Pakistan and
Bangladesh. However, astronomical rules are used in most Islamic countries,
which allow calculating the months beginning in advance. In addition, time
difference between sunset and moonset depends on the location geographical
coordinates. The Moon moves among the stars from West to East with average
speed of 13.2° per day. The wester the country, the more likely that Crescent after
new moon will be visible in the sky. Thus, in various Islamic countries, the
calendars are different and often the same religious holidays are celebrated on
different days.
Since true length of the lunar month is not 29.5 days, but a bit more, then
lunar year duration is not equal to 354 days, but to 354,367. Since it is not an
integer, then inevitably there is a problem of leap years, i.e. alternation of common
years of 354 days, and long years of 355 days.
Muslim year is not tied to the seasons, months are migrated all over the
seasons, causing the beginning of the year, for example, may occur in the summer
months of the Gregorian style, and after some time the winter.
Each month begins with neomenia, i.e. beginning of the month falls on a day
when Crescent after the new moon becomes visible after sunset. Astronomical new