Supermoon 2014

Last night (August 11), the inhabitants of the Earth could observe a rare astronomical phenomenon - a supermoon. This happens when the Earth and the Moon are as close as possible to each other and pass along the closest trajectory, at a distance of only 356.8 thousand km. The moon at this moment is in perigee - this is the point of its orbit closest to the Earth. During a supermoon, our planet's moon looks 14% larger and glows 30% brighter than usual. According to astronomers, this supermoon is the most spectacular in 2014.

(Total 10 photos)

1. Photo taken from the International Space Station by Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev shows the Moon disappearing behind the Earth. (© Oleg Artemiev / Roscosmos)

2. Fireworks before the supermoon, when the city of Mosta in Malta celebrated the feast of the patron saint. (© Reuters)

3. Fireworks before the Supermoon in Malta. (© Reuters)

4. The double-headed eagle on the towers of the Historical Museum in Moscow is visible in front of the supermoon. (© Maxim Shemetov / Reuters)

5. Supermoon in London. (© Paul Hackett / Reuters)

6. Supermoon in Southern Spain. (© Jon Nazca / Reuters)

7. Supermoon in Brasilia. (© Reuters)

8. Supermoon behind the roof of the Sydney Opera House in Australia. (© David Gray / Reuters)

9. Supermoon behind the stars of the Kremlin towers in Moscow, August 10, 2014. (© Maxim Shemetov / Reuters)

10. Supermoon on Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia. (© Yasoyushi Chiba / AFP)