Fez — Morocco is getting another major skywatching event this week, although seeing the best part will require either a very late night or an unusually early alarm.

A deep partial lunar eclipse will be visible across Morocco during the early hours of Friday, August 28, with the event beginning at around 2:23 a.m. local time

Time and Date lists the eclipse as beginning in Rabat at 2:23 a.m., when the Moon first enters Earth’s lighter penumbral shadow. The much more obvious partial phase begins at around 3:33 a.m.

The real reason to stay awake comes later.

Maximum eclipse arrives at approximately 5:12 a.m., when around 93% of the Moon’s diameter will sit inside Earth’s dark central shadow. NASA explains that the covered portion may take on a rusty or copper-colored appearance.

So yes, if you actually want the dramatic part, you are probably staying up very late.

Almost a Blood Moon

This is not technically a total lunar eclipse, which is what usually produces the classic full “Blood Moon.”

Earth, the Sun, and the Moon will not align perfectly enough for the entire lunar surface to enter the umbra.

Still, this one gets extremely close.

NASA records the eclipse with an umbral magnitude of about 0.93, meaning 93% of the Moon’s diameter enters the darkest portion of Earth’s shadow. Another NASA visualization calculates that approximately 96.3% of the Moon’s visible disk area will be inside the umbra at maximum.

That leaves only a thin section directly illuminated by the Sun.

The rest can appear dramatically darkened, with red and copper tones becoming visible as sunlight passes through Earth’s atmosphere before reaching the Moon.

When to look up in Morocco

For viewers in Rabat, the eclipse begins subtly at 2:23 a.m. and becomes clearly partial at about 3:33 a.m.

Maximum viewing comes at 5:12 a.m. The partial phase continues until around 6:51 a.m., although the Moon will already be extremely low in the western sky by then. Time and Date notes that viewers will need an unobstructed western horizon during the final stages.

Timings are broadly similar across Casablanca, Marrakech, Fez, Tangier, and Agadir, with the maximum occurring around 5:12 a.m. nationwide.

No telescope or protective glasses are required. NASA confirms that lunar eclipses are completely safe to watch with the naked eye, although binoculars can make the changing shadow easier to appreciate.

For anyone willing to sacrifice some sleep, the payoff comes shortly before dawn. Morocco will get a Moon that is not quite fully blood-red, but close enough to make 5 a.m. worth looking up.