Blood Moon: Partial lunar eclipse to appear over Africa Friday

A partial lunar eclipse will occur on Friday, August 28, 2026, with the phenomenon visible across parts of Africa, Europe and the Americas.

According to NASA, about 96.3 per cent of the Moon’s disc will enter Earth’s darkest shadow, known as the umbra, at the peak of the eclipse.

The eclipse will reach its peak at about 4:13 a.m. Universal Time. The Moon is expected to take on a reddish or coppery appearance as sunlight passes through Earth’s atmosphere and reaches the shadowed portion.

The event will begin as the Moon moves into Earth’s outer shadow before entering the umbra, making the darkening of its surface more noticeable.

The eclipse will be visible from western Africa, western Europe and much of the Americas, although the exact viewing experience will depend on location and weather conditions.

Although popularly referred to as a “blood moon”, the event is technically a deep partial lunar eclipse because a small portion of the Moon will remain outside the umbra.

Unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse is safe to observe with the naked eye.