Last night the world was lucky enough to see a supermoon lunar eclipse. Hopefully you got to see it in person — but if not, here are some of the best pictures so far of the stellar spectacle.
A supermoon eclipse is a simple yet rare event:
A “Supermoon” is simply what happens when a full moon coincides with the Moon being at its closest point to Earth. Reports you’ve heard of an OMG GIANT MOON are exaggerated — yes, the Supermoon will look bigger, but it tops out at 14% larger…. During a lunar eclipse, the Moon moves into the Earth’s shadow and hiding in the Earth’s Shadow shades the Moon a distinct red colour. On September 27, we’ll be seeing both of these two phenomenon paired together for the first time since 1982 to create a Supermoon Eclipse — and it’s the only shot you’ll get at seeing it until 2033.
So how did it look? Pretty great, actually! The image at the top of the page was taken over the Mediterranean sea in Netanya, Israel and shows the red glow seen in many parts of the world.
Here are some of the other great images of the eclipse that we’ve found so far.
The eclipsed supermoon rises behind the Las Vegas Strip (Gettty Images).
The supermoon rises behind Glastonbury Tor, UK (Gettty Images).
The supermoon rises over Boston Harbour (Getty Images).
During the eclipse, next to the Empire State Building (NASA/Joel Kowsky).
Before the eclipse, next to the Empire State Building (NASA/Joel Kowsky).
Behind the Washington Monument (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani).
Behind the Colorado State Capitol Building (NASA/Bill Ingalls).
Up-close (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani).
Before the eclipse, over the Menai Suspension Bridge in Wales (Kris Williams).
Over the Tyholmen old town area with the Trinity Church, Arendal, Norway (Birgit Fostervold).
Top image by AP Photo/Ariel Schalit