The largest full moon of the year lit up the night sky on Sunday, June 23rd and the majesty of it is threatening to explode the internet. It is being called the supermoon, and it amazed both astronomers and civilians alike.
One Twitter user, using the handle @KatieOldham tweeted, "That #supermoon is so mesmerizingly beautiful I want to cry! I must photograph it, quick let me take a picture!"
According to reports, a supermoon is simply a full moon that is visible at the same time a "lunar perigee" is occurring. Lunar perigee is the point at which the moon is closest to Earth during its orbit.
Photos of the supermoon have been posted everywhere, and it was a bonanza for those who snap photos for a living. Edwin Aguirre, a photographer, said "Because of the haze, the rising moon exhibited a vivid reddish orange color, similar to that of a deep total lunar eclipse. Others thought it looked like the red planet Mars. The sky cooperated so everyone had a great time."
He continued, in an e-mail to Space.com, and wrote Dozens of people, young and old, gathered well before dark where we were - at Robbins Farm Park in Arlington, which overlooks the city skyline. They brought blankets and lawn chairs - and their dogs - to enjoy not only the spectacular view, but also the nice, cool evening breeze, which was a welcome relief from the heat and humidity earlier in the day. In many places, moon watching over the weekend was a big event.
In addition to the orbit actually drawing the moon closer to the planet, another illusion takes place. According to Yahoo! reports, when the moon is visible low on the horizon, and is behind buildings, trees, etc., it can create an optical effect that makes it appear larger.
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