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In Pictures

Gallery

Supermoon stuns stargazers

People around the world are treated to a dazzling display.

People watch the supermoon from a ferris wheel in Tokyo. [Kimimasa Mayama/EPA-EFE]
People watch the supermoon from a ferris wheel in Tokyo. [Kimimasa Mayama/EPA-EFE]
5 Dec 2017
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The only supermoon of 2017 has delighted people around the world. 

A huge, glowing moon has been spotted in all corners of the globe, from the Capitol building in Washington, DC, to the bustling city of Tokyo.

A supermoon is a rare type of full moon that occurs because the moon’s orbit around the Earth is not a perfect circle.

When the moon is at its closest to the Earth, it appears 30 percent brighter and 14 percent larger than usual.

This large moon is called a supermoon and is most obvious when the moon has just risen over the horizon.

The supermoon was the first in a trilogy of consecutive supermoons, with the next ones due on January 1 and January 31.

The last supermoon of the series will also coincide with a lunar eclipse, which will be best viewed from Australasia, western Asia and northwestern parts of North America.

The huge moon hovers above Beirut, Lebanon. [Wael Hamzeh/EPA-EFE]
The huge moon hovers above Beirut, Lebanon. [Wael Hamzeh/EPA-EFE]
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The moon illuminates the Buddha in Yangon, Myanmar. [Nyein Chan Naing/EPA-EFE]
The moon illuminates the Buddha in Yangon, Myanmar. [Nyein Chan Naing/EPA-EFE]
The moon glows red as it rises over Washington, DC. [Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA-EFE]
The moon glows red as it rises over Washington, DC. [Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA-EFE]
The supermoon rises before the sun has set in Olvera, southern Spain. [Jon Nazca/Reuters]
The supermoon rises before the sun has set in Olvera, southern Spain. [Jon Nazca/Reuters]
The giant moon glows above Buscan, South Korea. [EPA-EFE]
The giant moon glows above Buscan, South Korea. [EPA-EFE]
The moon looms behind Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, UAE. [Giuseppe Cacace/AFP]
The moon looms behind Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, UAE. [Giuseppe Cacace/AFP]
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The moon masquerades as a street light in Naples, Italy. [Ciro Fusco/EPA-EFE]
The moon masquerades as a street light in Naples, Italy. [Ciro Fusco/EPA-EFE]

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