Nigeria to witness total lunar eclipse by 8pm today

Scientists say Nigeria is among countries that will witness total lunar eclipse, by 8 pm.

Other African countries will also witness the lunar eclipse with no risk to viewers and can be safely observed without any protective equipment.

Indeed, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) explains that a lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and Moon align in such a way that Earth’s shadow falls directly across the Moon.

Accirding to NASA, unlike solar eclipses, which require filtered glasses to prevent eye damage, “lunar eclipses can be viewed safely with the naked eye.”

The lunar eclipse will occur in Nigeria around 8:00 p.m. West Africa Time and will last approximately 83 minutes.

During this time, the Moon will take on a reddish hue, a result of sunlight bending through Earth’s atmosphere before reaching the lunar surface. NASA added that this scattering effect also influences temperature changes on the Moon during eclipses.

The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) reported that the eclipse will be visible not only in Nigeria but also in Ghana, Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Benin, Togo, Niger, Chad, and São Tomé and Príncipe.

However, parts of the westernmost regions may miss the early phases due to the timing of moonrise.

According to scientists, the reddish appearance—often called a “blood moon”—is one of the most distinctive features of a total lunar eclipse.

They say this transformation is entirely natural and a normal outcome of atmospheric refraction.

However, Sunday’s eclipse will also be seen in Europe, Asia, and Australia, making it a global event with wide visibility.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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