On Saturday night, July 12, you may have noticed that the moon looked unusually large.
That’s because it was the “supermoon,” which happens when two phenomenon occur at the same time: the full moon and the “perigee moon.” The perigee moon is when the moon passes closest to earth causing it to look about 14% larger and 30% brighter than usual. It looks even larger when it hangs low over the horizon, as it does when it is rising, for reasons scientists can’t completely explain.
Don’t worry if you missed it though. You can catch another supermoon on August 10 and September 9.
Until then, check out our favorite pictures from this past weekend below:
Below, the moon rises over houses in Olvera, Spain.
REUTERS/Jon Nazca
Here, the supermoon makes its way into the sky over downtown Kansas City, Missouri.
REUTERS/Dave Kaup
In Beirut, Lebanon, the moon crosses behind a decorative lantern celebrating the Muslim holy month, Ramadan.
AP Photo/Hussein Malla
In Malaga, Spain, a stork uses the supermoon as backlighting.
REUTERS/Jon Nazca
The moon rises over the city in Manhattan.
REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
In Las Vegas, Nevada the moon sets over the western skies.
REUTERS/Gene Blevins
Below, the supermoon crosses paths with the Tokyo Sky Tree in Japan, the tallest broadcasting tower in the world at over 2,000 feet tall.
REUTERS/Yuya Shino
Here, the supermoon rises over Somoskoujfala castle northeast of Budapest, Hungary.
AP Photo/MTI,Peter Komka
In Los Angeles, the supermoon lurks behind fans at a baseball game.
AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
The moon even loomed large the day before, on July 11, when this plane took off from New York.
AP Photo/Nick Ut
In Macedonia, a man watches the supermoon rise over Dojran Lake.
AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski
Cars zipped past as the moon rose over Memorial Bridge in Washington D.C.
AP Photo/J. David Ake
The moon appears giant next to Los Angeles’ Mt. Wilson Observatory.
Getty Images/David McNew / Stringer
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