Sun to be directly overhead Kaaba on Friday

Mecca : The sun will be overhead the Holy Kaaba on Friday for the second and last time this year, Astronomical Society of Jeddah said.

Majid Abu Zahir, president of the society, said this will happen at 12:27 p.m (local time) after Azan of Dhuhr prayer. The sun will be in the middle from where it comes down for dusk.

It will be overhead of the Kaaba at the time its shadow disappears, he said, adding that this will happen when the sun apparently returns from the Tropic of Cancer heading toward south on the Equator. He said this astronomical situation helps in determination of the direction of Qibla for those who live in geographically farther areas from Makkah in Arab and Islamic countries, as well as all the regions where the sun is on the horizon at that time.This can be done by monitoring the shadow of a piece of wood or plastic fixed vertically on the earth, so that the direction of Qibla will be on the opposite side of the shadow. Earlier in May, the sun was overhead the Kaaba for the first time this year.