Those who found time to watch and take pictures of the final supermoon this year apparently were not disappointed as evidenced by how the internet was flooded with shots that showed the remarkable beauty of the moon during the lunar event.
A supermoon occurs when the Earth's natural satellite turns full during its perigee, the point in its orbit when it comes nearest to the earth.
"'Supermoon' is a situation when the moon is slightly closer to Earth in its orbit than on average, and this effect is most noticeable when it occurs at the same time as a full moon. So, the moon may seem bigger although the difference in its distance from Earth is only a few percent at such times," explained James Garvin, from the Goddard Space Flight Center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
2014 was such a great year for supermoon aficionados as the summer was marked by a trio of supermoons that began in July 12. The Aug. 10 supermoon became full at the same hour that the lunar orb was closest to the Earth so it was the brightest of the summer's lunar triad.
Monday's supermoon was the third and last installment of the series of supermoons this summer and since it happened to be nearest to the autumnal equinox on Sept. 22, it is also technically a Harvest Moon. It is also this year's fourth supermoon, the first occurring on Jan. 1.
Professional photographers and photography enthusiasts are among those who marked the date of the lunar spectacle in their calendars. Dave Dicello, a photographer from Pittsburgh, said that taking photos of the supermoon is something that he does not want to miss.
"With the moon sitting in the spires above the PPG Building and using a 70-200 lens and a 2X teleconverter, I was able to capture a haunting scene of the harvest moon over the Steel City," Dicello said.
Those who were not lucky enough to watch the last supermoon of the year would have to wait quite a while before they can see a similar event as the next supermoon is expected to occur on Sept. 28, 2015.
While concerns over the implications of supermoons on Earth abound, NASA said that the effects of such events are minor. Studies made by terrestrial seismologists and volcanologists also found that these lunar events should not affect the internal energy balance of our planet.
