How solar overhead alignment works
The Kaaba in Makkah sits at latitude 21.42° N, inside the tropics. Twice each year the sun's declination matches Makkah's latitude at local solar noon, a phenomenon often called Qibla Day or Istiwa al-Shams. At those two instants the sun stands nearly at the zenith over the Kaaba.
Because the sun is directly above the target point on the globe, the great-circle direction toward the Kaaba from any sunlit location is the direction of the sun itself. A vertical pole or plumb line on level ground casts a shadow pointing directly away from the Qibla. This geometric check avoids magnetic interference from buildings, phone cases or rebar; compare our guide to true north and magnetic compasses.
Calculated overhead instants in 2027
Using SalahTable's solar-position model (one-minute search steps around Makkah solar noon), the two 2027 zenith instants occur at:
- First alignment: (12:18 PM in Makkah, altitude 89.97°).
- Second alignment: (12:27 PM in Makkah, altitude 89.92°).
The adjoining dates (27–28 May and 15–16 July) are within a fraction of a degree at the same local clock time.
Local clock times and visibility across eight cities
Only locations in daylight at 09:18 UTC (May) and 09:27 UTC (July) can observe the global event directly. The table below converts both instants into each city's local time zone and reports the sun's altitude there.
| City / Qibla | May instant (local) | May visibility | July instant (local) | July visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Makkah 172° · Asia/Riyadh | Visible (90.0° altitude) — face the sun | Visible (89.9° altitude) — face the sun | ||
| London 119° · Europe/London | Visible (46.9° altitude) — face the sun | Visible (46.9° altitude) — face the sun | ||
| Karachi 268° · Asia/Karachi | Visible (64.8° altitude) — face the sun | Visible (64.7° altitude) — face the sun | ||
| Delhi 267° · Asia/Kolkata | Visible (55.5° altitude) — face the sun | Visible (55.4° altitude) — face the sun | ||
| Dhaka 278° · Asia/Dhaka | Visible (43.5° altitude) — face the sun | Visible (43.4° altitude) — face the sun | ||
| Singapore 293° · Asia/Singapore | Visible (24.6° altitude) — face the sun | Visible (24.5° altitude) — face the sun | ||
| New York 58° · America/New_York | Below horizon (-2.7°; night locally) | Below horizon (-2.7°; night locally) | ||
| Sydney 278° · Australia/Sydney | Below horizon (-29.1°; night locally) | Below horizon (-29.1°; night locally) |
When it is night locally: city-specific sun alignments
In North America and much of Australia or the Pacific, Makkah's solar noon falls during the night or near dusk. Those cities cannot use the global May and July instants, but they can use days when the sun crosses their own local Qibla azimuth (face the sun) or its opposite azimuth (your shadow points toward the Qibla) while at least 5° above the horizon.
| City / Qibla | Date | Face the sun | Shadow points to Qibla |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York (58°) | 15 March 2027 | — | 4:18 PM |
| New York (58°) | 15 June 2027 | — | 2:38 PM |
| New York (58°) | 15 September 2027 | — | 3:48 PM |
| New York (58°) | 15 December 2027 | — | — |
| Sydney (278°) | 15 March 2027 | 5:59 PM | — |
| Sydney (278°) | 15 June 2027 | — | — |
| Sydney (278°) | 15 September 2027 | 5:15 PM | — |
| Sydney (278°) | 15 December 2027 | 3:23 PM | 8:31 AM |
Every city's Qibla page on SalahTable calculates these 15th-of-the-month times for the coming year; open the Qibla finder to pick your city.
How to verify direction safely with a shadow
- Never look directly at the sun. Instead, use the shadow of a vertical object (a plumb line, window frame or upright pole on a flat, level surface).
- Check the table above to confirm whether the global instant is visible in your city and whether you are using a “face the sun” (shadow points away from Qibla) or “shadow points to Qibla” moment.
- Mark the shadow line on the ground or floor at the exact minute listed for your time zone, including daylight saving time.
- Compare that line with your compass reading after accounting for magnetic declination.
Solar-position calculations here use the NOAA astronomical approximations (accurate to well under one degree), which is sufficient for visual alignment. For mosque prayer halls and local religious guidance, follow your local mosque.