Pink Supermoon Dominated Skies Over The UK Last Night

It was eyes to the skies last night with the Pink Supermoon visible above the UK.

The lunar event happens when a full moon is closest to the Earth in its orbit, known as its perigee, making it appear bigger and brighter than usual.

The Pink Supermoon, although it's not actually pink in colour, gets its name from a pink flower that blooms in the US in springtime. It also goes by other spring-signifier names such as Fish Moon, Egg Moon or Sprouting Grass Moon.

PA

For anyone interested in the numbers, last night's moon was 357,035km (221,851 miles) away compared to its average distance of 384,400km (238,855 miles). It was best viewed in the UK at around 3.35am this morning but was visible from dusk.

As you can imagine, photographers rushed outside to try and get a snap of the supermoon with some stunning results.

If big-looking moons are your bag, then you'll be pleased to know that we have more supermoons coming up in the year - next month we'll be treated to the Flower Moon on 7 May.

PA

Last month we saw the Worm Moon, and was around seven percent larger-looking than usual.

Speaking about supermoons Tania de Sales Marques, an astronomer with the Royal Observatory, told Newsweek, she said: "What is commonly called a supermoon happens when the moon comes closest to us, at perigee, and is either at a full moon or new moon phase.

"So a full moon is also a supermoon when the full phase coincides with perigee.

"A full moon coinciding with perigee is an annual event, but since a supermoon is not so strictly defined, the threshold for what's considered a supermoon may vary to also include full moons that come close to perigee. This more relaxed definition can give us more than one supermoon per year."

PA

If you missed out last night and want to catch a decent view of next month's Flower Moon, de Sales Marques advises: "The best thing to do is to wait until after the sun has set and the sky is dark, find an unobstructed view of the sky, and weather permitting you should get to see a slightly brighter than usual full moon.

"And if you're thinking of taking a picture to mark the occasion, just be aware that you'll need proper equipment, such as a camera with a long telephoto lens, as the moon captured on a phone will look more like a blob."

Topics: UK

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]

@ClaireReid19