By Abiola Olawale
Nigeria is among countries that would witness a rare celestial spectacle on Sunday, September 7.
This is as Nigeria will witness a total lunar eclipse, often called a “blood moon.”
This phenomenon, visible across much of Africa, Asia, Europe, and Australia, is expected to captivate many as the moon takes on a striking reddish hue.
Starting around 8:00 PM West Africa Time (WAT), the total lunar eclipse will unfold, with the moon fully entering Earth’s shadow for approximately 82–83 minutes.
According to the National Television Authority (NTA), Nigerians across the country will have a front-row seat to this cosmic event.
The media house said scientists confirmed that the event would be visible across most of Africa.
“Countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Benin, Togo, Niger, Chad, and São Tomé and Príncipe will experience the eclipse, though the westernmost areas may miss parts of the early penumbral or partial phases due to the Moon rising closer to or during totality,” the network reported on Sunday.
In Lagos, the greatest eclipse phase is expected around 7:11 PM WAT.
The New Diplomat reports that the eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and Moon align perfectly, with Earth casting a shadow that blankets the lunar surface.
This alignment creates the “blood moon” effect, where sunlight filtering through Earth’s atmosphere bathes the moon in a reddish glow due to Rayleigh scattering.
Unlike solar eclipses, this lunar event is completely safe to view with the naked eye, requiring no special equipment.
