Early Career Researcher 2025: Imad Ahmed

Bring the Moon Back Home

In the UK there is no nationally produced Islamic lunar calendar. Due to limited local resources and expertise, most mosques outsource calendrical decisions to overseas authorities. Because lunar visibility varies by location, this leads to Ramadan and Eid being observed on different dates each year, generating significant community tension, family division, and institutional conflict. This PhD research examines these debates through an ethnographic lens, alongside sustained public engagement work that focuses on building local lunar observation and calendrical capacity.

Through partnerships with the Royal Observatory Greenwich and grassroots Muslim astronomy groups, the project delivers practical, culturally relevant astronomy training designed to empower communities to manage their own calendars. It also addresses low science capital within British Muslim communities by reconnecting audiences with Islamic contributions to the history of astronomy and creating accessible pathways into science.

Across the UK, more than 3,000 people have been trained in observational astronomy, crescent visibility, and lunar calendar literacy through mosques, community centres, and national workshops. Building on this foundation, a UKRI STFC-funded Moonsighters Academy will establish a national network of trained community astronomy leaders. The project has also expanded access to major heritage and academic institutions, generated national media coverage, and embedded community-led knowledge production at the heart of both the research and its public engagement outcomes.