More than 7 billion people to witness rare lunar eclipse tonight

Dubai: More than seven billion people worldwide are expected to witness a rare total lunar eclipse this evening, a celestial event visible across much of the Arab and Islamic world, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

The eclipse, which astronomers describe as one of the longest in recent years, will unfold in several phases. 

According to Abdullah Al Misnad, former professor of climatology at Qassim University, the partial eclipse will begin at 7.27pm Riyadh time, reaching totality at 8.30pm. 

The peak is forecast for 9.11pm, before gradually fading, with the eclipse ending at 10.56pm. 

In total, the spectacle will last three hours and 29 minutes, including one hour and 22 minutes of complete lunar shadow.

Al Misnad noted that the event will be uniquely synchronized for Muslims, with the special eclipse prayer performed worldwide at nearly the same moment, regardless of time zones.

Tonight’s eclipse will be the last visible in Saudi skies until July 6, 2028. No other lunar or solar eclipses will be visible in the kingdom until August 2, 2027, when residents in cities including Jeddah, Mecca, and Abha are expected to witness a total solar eclipse. Riyadh, however, will not see a total solar eclipse until December 2755.

Astronomers explain that a lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes through Earth’s shadow, which stretches 221 times the planet’s diameter. Al Misnad highlighted the precision of these astronomical calculations as evidence of what he described as the marvels of divine creation.