The longest partial lunar eclipse in 580 years will occur on Friday and will be visible from Bangladesh.
It will begin at 12pm and end at 6:05pm (Bangladesh Standard Time), Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) Deputy Director Md Asadur Rahman told Dhaka Tribune.
The partial eclipse will reach its peak at 2:34pm when 97% of the moon will be covered by the earth's shadow.
"The end of the partial phase of the eclipse will be visible just after moonrise if the sky remains clear," the Met office official said.
The sighting will begin at 5:13pm in Dhaka, at 5:11pm in Mymensingh, at 5:10pm in Chittagong, at 5:05pm in Sylhet, at 5:18pm in Khulna, at 5:15pm in Barisal, at 5:19pm in Rajshahi and at 5:14pm in Rangpur.
This particular partial lunar eclipse will last 3 hours, 28 minutes and 24 seconds, making it the longest one in 580 years.
The last time a lunar eclipse of this nature occurred was on February 18, 1440. Astronomy enthusiasts will have to wait till February 8, 2669 for another similar celestial event.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon is in its full phase, the sun completely illuminates the moon’s surface and the earth comes between them. For a total lunar eclipse the sun, the earth and the moon have to be precisely aligned, and if they are not, it results in a partial lunar eclipse.
Unlike a total lunar eclipse — also known as "the blood moon" — only part of the full moon is covered in shadow during a partial eclipse.
As partial eclipses go, with up to 97.4% of the moon's face in shadow at the maximum point, this is almost as deep as it can get without it being a total lunar eclipse.
The phenomenon can be observed live on the website of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa).