Biggest supermoon of 2014 lights up the night sky
People around the world this weekend looked up at the sky to view a lunar phenomenon: the so-called "supermoon."
Known to scientists as a perigee moon, it appears at its largest and brightest compared to other full moons when it orbits closest to our planet.
Sunday's supermoon was the biggest and brightest full moon of the year. And not only that, NASA says it was the biggest and brightest of the past 20 years. According to NASA, the moon was 14 percent closer to Earth and 30 percent brighter than other full moons.
A supermoon will happen three times this year, with Sunday night's being the second. The first one occurred on July 12 and the third will take place on Sept. 9.
Stargazers across the U.S. enjoyed the sight and posted some striking pictures of it on social media.
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird...it's a plane...it's SUPERMOON!!! #JoshuaTree #supermoon2014 pic.twitter.com/wqOikTP0jd
— Joshua Tree NPS (@JoshuaTreeNP) August 11, 2014
Super #MoonGlow from a super #supermoon Seeing Bright in #SeaBright pic.twitter.com/tt5PXdCXHT
— John Elliott (@JohnElliottTV) August 11, 2014
Astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson took to Twitter, poking fun at the fact that there was virtually no difference between Sunday's supermoon and July's supermoon.
July’s full moon is to August's "Super Moon” what a 16.0 inch pizza is to a 16.1 inch pizza. I’m just saying.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) August 11, 2014
Sunday's supermoon occurred at the same time as the annual Perseid meteor shower, and the bright moon may have diminished views of the meteors, or "shooting stars," that are a highlight every August.