On Monday, Earth got to see the moon in its full glory. The sight was of the biggest and brightest ‘supermoon’ since 1948. Star watchers and photographers stood atop skyscrapers, went out to beaches, walked out on city squares and open spaces to capture the supermoon with their eyes and lens alike.
These pictures from photographers around the world will leave you in awe.
The phenomenon known as the supermoon reached its peak luminescence in North America before dawn on Monday. Its zenith in Asia and the South Pacific was Monday night.
The moon will be at its brightest this week because it is coming closer to the Earth along its elliptical orbit than at any time since January 1948.
According to the astronomy website earthsky.org, the term supermoon entered usage five years ago when the closest full moon fell on 19 March 2011. The scientific term is perigee full moon.
The moon was about 14 percent larger in diameter and about 30 percent brighter than when it's at its furthest distance from the earth. It won't be as big and bright again for another 18 years.
(With inputs from AP and Reuters.)
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