Blood moon: Partial lunar eclipse to light up skies on Friday-NASA

Sky watchers across Africa and other parts of the world are expected to witness a partial lunar eclipse on Friday, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

The phenomenon, popularly known as a “blood moon,” will occur as the Moon passes through the Earth’s shadow, creating a striking reddish appearance during the eclipse.

NASA said the event will be visible in parts of the Americas, Europe, Africa and Western Asia between August 27 and 28, 2026.

According to the space agency, the eclipse will begin at 9:23pm Eastern Time when the Moon enters the outer region of the Earth’s shadow.

By 10:33pm ET, the Earth’s darker shadow will begin moving across the lunar surface, producing the appearance of a section of the Moon being gradually covered.

The eclipse is expected to reach its peak at about 12:12am ET, when more than 96 per cent of the Moon will be covered by the Earth’s shadow.

The celestial event will then gradually recede, with the Moon expected to completely leave the outer edge of the Earth’s shadow at about 3:01am ET.

NASA, in a notice published on its website, listed the August 27–28 event as a partial eclipse visible across the Americas, Europe, Africa and Western Asia.