Stargazers and astrophiles from Los Angeles to Istanbul rushed outdoors to see the first supermoon of the year on Monday night. It did not disappoint.
The supermoon, which was flush with amber and red tones, was 14,000 miles closer to earth than typical full moons. A supermoon — the term was coined in 1979 by the astrologer Richard Nolle, and it is not an official astronomical term — can be about 17 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than a full moon at apogee, or its farthest point from Earth.
Here are some quick facts about supermoons and images from around the world.
From Monday night into Tuesday morning, the supermoon was the talk of social media, with enthusiasts sharing images of it behind skylines and above landmarks.
In some locations, including in Kansas City, Mo., the supermoon provided a unique backdrop to fireworks shows on the eve of the U.S. Independence Day.
While the supermoon was seen in full by many, in some cities it was obscured by clouds and other weather, including in Rome, where clouds partly covered it over the Forum.
July’s full moon is also called the buck moon, because the antlers on male deer are growing fast at this time of year, adding as much as a quarter of an inch per day, according to the Farmers’ Almanac, the collection of folk wisdom and factoids.
The full moon this month is also sometimes called a thunder moon because of the frequent thunderstorms that are associated with early summer, NASA said.
Native American tribes gave names to each moon to mark a particular point in the year, according to Western Washington University. Some used words to describe the color of the July moon, calling it a raspberry moon or a ripe corn moon, while others linked it with summer weather, naming it a hot moon.
Monday night’s supermoon was the first of four this year. Two more will come in August and another in September, according to NASA.
The final supermoon of 2022, the Sturgeon Moon, swept social media last August and thrilled stargazers.
