Snaps show Supermoon lighting up the night sky around the world in stunning lunar sequence
A BREATHTAKING pink supermoon has lit up the night sky for the second night in a row.
Photographers across the world have again captured the rare the celestial event when the moon appears bigger and brighter than usual.
The lunar spectacle meant Earth's natural satellite formed an unusually giant disc overhead.
It also glowed especially bright as it graced the sky at both dawn and dusk.
The moon appeared 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter than normal, according to astronomers at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London.
Skygazers were able to see it from all over the world - everywhere from Stonehenge to San Francisco.
It was also snapped above Norfolk, London and New York City.
The full moon in April is also known as the "pink moon" as it is named after pink flowers, known as phlox, which bloom in the springtime.
It is also a supermoon because the it occurs when it is near its closest point to the Earth in its orbit.
The phenomenon was visible last night, at dawn today, and also just before sunset tonight.
Anna Ross, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, said: "The average distance of the moon from the Earth is 384,400km, but the moon will reach its closest point this lunar month on April 27 at 16.24, when it will be 357,379km away.
"The exact moment of the full moon closest to this point, so the supermoon, is also on April 27, but at 04.31.
"This means that the best times to view this supermoon will be any time during the night of April 27 when the moon will rise in the east just before sunset and set in the west around sunrise."
Ms Ross added: "A supermoon is the result of a full moon occurring when the moon is near its closest point to the Earth in its orbit.
"This can happen because the moon orbits the Earth on an elliptical path, rather than a circular one.
"As this means that the moon is a little closer to us, it appears slightly bigger in the sky."
The next supermoon will be visible in May 2021.
Dr Darren Baskill, physics and astronomy lecturer at the University of Sussex, explained the reason the moon glows a slightly different colour.
He said: "The moon will slightly change colour depending on where it appears in the sky.
"It’s all to do with the curvature of Earth.
"When you stand outside and look directly up, you’re looking through about 30km of atmosphere.
"But look to the horizon and you’re looking through about 300km of atmosphere. So only the more red colours will reach you.
"This means the moon and the sun take on a reddish colour when they’re on the horizon."
There are 12 full moons to spot in 2021, each with its own unique name.
Of these, photographers will next want to be out on May 26, when the moon will appear its fullest in the UK.
The 12 full moons of 2021 - and when to see them
The most interesting moon phases - and when to see them
A blue moon refers to the occasion when a full moon appears for the second time in the same month. This is very rare.
The harvest moon appears around the time of the autumnal equinox when farmers tend to do their main crop harvesting.
A supermoon appears when it is at its closest point to Earth, and therefore is at its brightest.
A blood moon occurs during a total lunar eclipse.
Each month of the year has its own special full moon phenomenon.
- January: Wolf Moon
- February: Snow Moon
- March: Worm Moon
- April: Pink Moon
- May: Flower Moon
- June: Strawberry Moon
- July: Buck Moon
- August: Sturgeon Moon
- September: Full Corn Moon
- October: Hunter's Moon
- November: Beaver Moon
- December: Cold Moon
No comments: