In this file photo taken on October 8, 2014 shows a lunar eclipse as seen from Tokyo.

The Astronomy Society of Jeddah said that the skies above Saudi Arabia would witness a complete lunar eclipse before sunrise on Monday morning, which will also be viewed in the skies of the entire Arab region, North and South America, Europe, Africa and West Asia.

Engineer Majid Abu Zahirah, president of the Astronomy Society, said that this complete lunar eclipse is distinct from other complete lunar eclipses seen in Saudi skies over the last 30 years. This is a rare incident which occurred only four times in 20th century — in 1910, 1928, 1964 and most recently in 1982.

He said that “the diameter of the moon will be 13 percent greater compared to the eclipse which happened in April. Contrary to a solar eclipse, there is no problem in watching a lunar eclipse with the naked eyes, or telescope.”

“In the Kingdom, the various stages of the lunar eclipse will not be seen. We will see only the first half of the eclipse and then it will gradually reach full eclipse,” he said.

The time of the stages of lunar eclipse in various parts of the Kingdom will be same. The partial eclipse will begin at 4:07 a.m. with the beginning of the entry of the top right of the moon into the Earth’s shadow. The process will continue for more than an hour.

At 5:47 a.m. there will be a complete eclipse when the moon is in the full shadow of the earth. This will be noticed in western parts of the Kingdom; it will not be able to be seen in eastern and central parts.

The moon will appear at its largest at 5:50 a.m. when it will be nearest in position to the earth for this year.