Aswan:Abu Simbel The Ramses II Temple in Aswan is poised to witness its remarkable twice-yearly solar alignment on Thursday, where sunlight will reach the sanctuary and illuminate three statues.

According to State Information Service Egypt, the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG) reports that sunlight travels approximately 60 meters through the temple's entrance and stone corridors. This natural light show highlights statues of Ramses II and the gods Ra-Horakhty and Amun-Ra, while the statue of Ptah remains shrouded in shadow.

This astronomical event, occurring each February and October, showcases the ancient Egyptians' mastery in temple construction. The alignment has persisted since the temple's relocation in the 1960s to protect it from Lake Nasser's rising waters.

Manar Abadi, head of NRIAG's Solar Research Laboratory, indicated that preliminary astronomical calculations predict sunrise in Abu Simbel to occur between 652 and 654 a.m. local time on Thursday. Observations from October 22, 2025, documented the phenomenon lasting 22 minutes, from 654 to 716 a.m., with the sun reaching an altitude of 4.39 degrees.

Abadi also mentioned that factors such as atmospheric refraction and the sun's visibility impact the timing, emphasizing the importance of field observations to accurately determine when sunlight illuminates the statues.