Theory of moonsighting

Hi, I'm trying to figure out the theory of moon sighting.

1. As I understand it the new month begins when the moon is visible.
2. The new moon (0%) has a globally fixed time, e.g., 2:30am UTC, which would be 09:30 in Jakarta, say, or 05:30 in Istanbul.
3. It is only even POSSIBLE to see the moon between moonrise and moonset.
4. Moonrise and moonset at the time of the new moon is close to sunrise and sunset (in other words moonrise and moonset are LOCAL).
5. To have a chance to see the moon it is necessary for some (12, 14? Idk?) hours to have elapsed after the new moon. So if the new moon is at 15:00 local time, and moonset is 19:00 then it's not possible to sight the moon

Ok.

Now I am reading this:

http://www.islamicmoon.com/Moonsighting%20Shawwal%2031%20Days.htm

"ISNA consultants ratified a “naked-eye sighting” claim by a single witness from Phoenix, AZ on 2 November 2005 against a unanimous declaration of astronomers that such a sighting is IMPOSSIBLE."

Can someone explain this?

The new moon was on 1st November 2005 at 19:23 (MST). Source: https://www.nevis.columbia.edu/~seligman/moontables-2005-2015.html

So at moonset on 2nd November 2005, in Phoenix, https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/usa/phoenix?month=11&year=2005 the moon age is already 22 hours and 31 minutes.

So providing you see the new moon before moonset (17:54, sunset at 17:35), then it's the new month? And at 22.5 hours old, that should be possible.

Have I missed something?

submitted by /u/Leandover
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