Supermoon 2016

Last night, and later tonight, skywatchers around the world will be treated to views of this year's so-called "supermoon," the largest full moon of the year. Today, on November 14, at 6:20 am Eastern time, the moon approached within 356,500 km (221,500 mi) of Earth, in what is scientifically known as a perigee-syzygy of the Earth-Moon-Sun system (perigee: closest point of an elliptical orbit; syzygy: straight line made of three bodies in a gravitational system). Though the moon does appear larger than normal, the size difference is so small that a casual observer would probably never notice. Nonetheless, photographers across the globe set out to capture the event, and collected here are 21 of the most super images of this year's supermoon. If your skies are clear, be sure to look up around moonrise tonight.

Read more
Hints: View this page full screen. Skip to the next and previous photo by typing j/k or ←/→.

Most Recent

  • Eren Bozkurt / Anadolu Agency / Getty
    • In Focus
    • February 6, 2023
    • 28 Photos

    Early Photos From the Earthquake in Turkey and Syria

    This morning, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck near the Turkish city of Gaziantep, collapsing thousands of buildings across southern Turkey and northwestern Syria.

  • Dan Bartlett / Reuters
    • In Focus
    • February 3, 2023
    • 35 Photos

    Photos of the Week: Salmon Blessing, Masquerade Games, Polar Night

    A figure-skating championship in Finland, a rugby tournament in Afghanistan, the Magh Mela festival in India, a soldier’s funeral in Ukraine, an ice storm in Texas, and much more

  • Andy Buchanan / AFP / Getty
    • In Focus
    • February 1, 2023
    • 18 Photos

    The Up Helly Aa Viking Fire Festival

    Images of the annual fire festival held in the Shetland Islands from the past 20 years.

  • Tomohiro Ohsumi / Getty
    • In Focus
    • January 30, 2023
    • 20 Photos

    The Snow Monkeys of Nagano

    Images of Japanese macaques relaxing and staying warm in the waters of a mountain hot spring

Most Popular on The Atlantic

  1. How Biden Successfully Baited Congressional Republicans
  2. The Bizarre Relationship of a ‘Work Wife’ and a ‘Work Husband’
  3. ‘Scar Girl’ Is a Sign That the Internet Is Broken
  4. This Is What Netflix Thinks Your Family Is
  5. So Are Nonstick Pans Safe or What?
  6. The Real Obstacle to Nuclear Power
  7. Why Is Marjorie Taylor Greene Like This?
  8. The Marriage Lesson That I Learned Too Late
  9. The French Are in a Panic Over le Wokisme
  10. The SNL Sketch That Left the Cast Helpless
Back to Top