General News

Nigeria to Witness Lunar Eclipse for The First Time Since 2016

Published by
Emmanuel Eze

Nigerians will have the privilege of joining stargazers worldwide in witnessing the rare sight of a partial lunar eclipse on Friday, March 14th, 2025, for the first time since 2016, as a blood moon is expected worldwide.

What is a Lunar Eclipse?

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth moves between the Sun and the Moon, blocking the Sun’s light and casting a shadow on the Moon. During a lunar eclipse, the Moon appears dimmed or reddish as it passes through Earth’s shadow and it is visible from any location on Earth where the moon is above the horizon. it occurs in two forms namely: a partial one and a total lunar eclipse.  

The partial lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon only partially enters Earth’s shadow (umbra). As a result, a portion of the Moon appears darkened, while the rest remains visible with the appearance of the Moon during a partial eclipse depending on how much of the Moon is in the shadow. 

A total lunar eclipse on the other hand occurs when the entire moon passes through Earth’s shadow (umbra). The Moon appears darkened, often with a reddish or copper hue due to sunlight refracted through Earth’s atmosphere. This type of is however rarer than a partial lunar eclipse.

What is expected in Nigeria?

What is expected across Nigeria is the partial lunar eclipse from the periods of 4:57pm – 6:58pm. on Friday March 14th, 2025.  The eclipse starts at 4;57pm  across Nigeria and ends at different times between 6:44pm and 6:58pm in different states of the federation. It is expected to be most visible in Lagos and Benin city due to a high degree of lunar obscuration in those states.

Other Eclipses in Nigeria

This is not the first time Nigeria is witnessing a lunar eclipse but it is the first since September 1, 2016 when there was an annular solar eclipse across Nigeria. A total solar eclipse occurred in Nigeria on May 20th 1947 while there was another eclipse on March 29, 2006  visible partially in Ibadan, Abuja, Minna, Lagos, Abeokuta, and substantial parts of the West, Middle Belt, and North West and totally in  Kastina, Gusau, Kazaure, Isah, Shaki, Tede, and Sepeteri. 

After the expected eclipse on March 14th,  there is expected to be a total lunar eclipse in Nigeria on September 7, 2025. 

Emmanuel Eze

Emmanuel Eze is an early career journalist with an interest in reporting economic and business related issues

Recent Posts

China Launches 10G Broadband Capable of 9,834Mbps Download Speed

China on Sunday launched the world's first 10G broadband network in the Sunnan county, Hebei… Read More

13 hours ago

Alhaji Musediq Adeniji Kazeem Elected New Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria President

Alhaji Musediq Adeniji Kazeem has been elected as the new National President of the Ansar-Ud-Deen… Read More

13 hours ago

FG to Close Ijora Bridge for Repairs From April 27

The federal government has announced plans to fully close the Ijora Bridge in Lagos from… Read More

14 hours ago

Africa Center for Disease Control is Hiring: IT Assistant

The Africa Center for Disease Control (AfCDC), an arm of the African Union (AU) is… Read More

14 hours ago

World Bank Job Opening: Innovation Officer (Storytelling)

The World Bank is looking for an Innovation Officer (Storytelling) in the Development Innovation sector.… Read More

15 hours ago

Suspected Hoodlums Set Ilesa High Court Ablaze, Destroy Sensitive Court Documents

Suspected hoodlums on Sunday night burnt down the Ilesa High Court 2 building in Osun… Read More

19 hours ago