Skywatchers in Northern Borders Region could see the first-quarter moon of Safar 1448 with the naked eye after sunset on Tuesday, with half of the lunar disk lit up, roughly a week into the Hijri month.

The first quarter is among the most prominent phases in the Moon's monthly cycle. Zahi Al-Khulaiwi, chairman of the Space and Astronomy Association, explained that it occurs when the Moon sits at an angle of about 90 degrees relative to the Earth and the Sun, so that around 50% of the side facing Earth is illuminated.

Al-Khulaiwi said this is one of the best phases for studying the lunar surface, because the line between light and shadow brings out craters, mountains and plains in sharper detail than at other points in the cycle.