Sun Aligns Above Kaaba in Makkah on Arafat Day in Rare 33-Year Event

The sun is set to align directly above the Kaaba in Makkah on May 27th, 2026, coinciding with the Day of Arafat, in a rare astronomical event that occurs approximately once every 33 years.

The alignment will take place on the ninth day of Dhul Hijjah 1447H, when the sun reaches its zenith directly above the Grand Mosque, causing shadows in Makkah to briefly disappear.

Although the solar zenith occurs twice each year in Makkah, its overlap with Arafat Day is considerably rarer. The last occurrence took place in 1993.

Astronomers attribute the phenomenon to Makkah’s geographical position near latitude 21.4 degrees north, placing it within the zone where the sun’s declination passes directly overhead as it moves between the equator and the Tropic of Cancer.

This positioning creates two annual moments when the sun aligns vertically above the Kaaba.

The roughly 33-year interval between alignments occurring on Arafat Day is linked to differences between the lunar Hijri calendar and the solar Gregorian calendar, with the lunar cycle gradually realigning with similar solar dates over time.

According to Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Meteorology, the event is a recurring natural astronomical phenomenon and does not necessarily result in unusually high temperatures.