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The second supermoon of this year — the Sturgeon Moon — left stargazers awed on Tuesday night, drawing large crowds in parts of Europe, the Americas and Asia, and once again piquing interest in the night sky.
“It’s nice that people get away from their daily routines and all the horrible things that are going around in the world, and then take some time to really appreciate this celestial phenomenon,” Francisco Diego, an astronomer who lectures at University College London, said by telephone on Wednesday.
Images of the supermoon flooded social media on Tuesday night, with many people capturing its golden, amber and eventually silver tones as it rose over Cape Sounion, Greece; Madrid; New York; and Rio de Janeiro — all cities lucky enough not to have obstructed views because of clouds or inclement weather.
A supermoon occurs when the moon is at perigee — its closest point to Earth in its orbit — making it look bigger and brighter than other full moons. The word was coined in 1979 by Richard Nolle, the astrologer, although it is not an official astronomical term.
In London and other parts of Britain, cloud cover on Tuesday night prevented many from seeing the supermoon in all of its splendor. But Mr. Diego said that onlookers might get a second chance on Wednesday night, and that the moon would still appear quite round and large.
It will not be a complete full moon, he said, adding that a small sliver would be darkened on its right side, “but it’s still quite spectacular to see.”
Tuesday night’s celestial show was the second supermoon of the year. The first occurred in early July, drawing people outdoors in major cities like Istanbul and Los Angeles.
The next supermoon will be on Aug. 30, and because it is the second full moon this month, it will be known as a Blue Moon. It will also be the closest and brightest full supermoon of the year, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. Plus, Saturn will appear five degrees to the upper right of that moon and will swing clockwise around it through the evening, according to NASA.
The fourth and final supermoon of the year, which will appear in September, is sometimes called a Harvest Moon.
Mr. Diego said it was “more or less rare” to have four supermoons in a three-month period.
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