Nigeria to Witness 83-Minute Total Lunar Eclipse Tonight

Nigerians will join millions across Africa and beyond tonight in witnessing a rare celestial display as the Earth’s shadow completely covers the Moon in a total lunar eclipse.

The event, popularly known as a Blood Moon because of the reddish hue the Moon takes on, is expected to begin around 8:00 p.m. West African Time (GMT+1) on Sunday, September 7, 2025, and will last for about 83 minutes.

Astronomers describe this eclipse as one of the longest of the decade, with the extended duration attributed to the Moon being near apogee, the farthest point in its orbit from Earth, which slows its movement across the planet’s shadow.

In Nigeria, the eclipse will be visible in major cities including Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt, and Enugu, with residents across West Africa—Ghana, Cameroon, Niger, Chad, Benin, Togo, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea—also able to watch.

Some western regions, however, may miss the early stages as the Moon will rise already in partial or total eclipse.

According to astronomers, the sequence of the eclipse begins with the penumbral phase in the late afternoon, followed by the partial eclipse, and then the totality which will peak around 7:11 p.m. local time in Lagos and Abuja. The total eclipse will end just before 8:00 p.m., though the entire spectacle, including partial phases, will span over three hours locally and nearly five and a half hours globally.

Unlike solar eclipses, experts reassure that lunar eclipses are completely safe to observe with the naked eye. No protective eyewear is required, though binoculars or telescopes are recommended for a sharper view of the Moon’s surface as it transitions through shades of copper and red.

The eclipse is already sparking excitement among skywatchers and science enthusiasts. Many cultural and religious groups in Nigeria also traditionally attach symbolic meanings to eclipses, seeing them as moments of reflection and awe at the natural order.

Tonight’s event is expected to be the most prominent lunar eclipse visible from Nigeria in recent years, and it offers a unique opportunity for citizens to pause and experience one of nature’s most dramatic spectacles.