Get ready for a celestial treat! The final supermoon of 2025 is here, and it's a sight to behold! From Thursday evening until the early hours of Friday, this supermoon illuminated our night skies, offering a breathtaking display. But here's where it gets controversial... or at least, a little mind-bending.
The Beijing Planetarium reveals that this supermoon reached its fullest phase at 07:14 Beijing time on Friday morning. And get this: about 12 hours earlier, the moon was at its perigee, the closest point to Earth, with a distance of less than 360,000 kilometers. That's what makes it a supermoon, and this one ranks as the second largest full moon of the year!
The Cold Moon, as it's called, lit up the skies in various parts of the world, from Warsaw to Porto Alegre and even the Strait of Magellan in Chile. The photos are truly stunning, capturing the supermoon's brilliance against cityscapes and natural backdrops.
But here's the interesting part: astronomers say it's all about timing and location. The golden hour, they explain, is shortly after sunset when the moon rises, appearing exceptionally large and full. It's an optical illusion, they say, but one that makes the shimmering moon even more impressive.
And this is the part most people miss: the supermoon can appear smaller later in the night when it's high in the sky without any contrasting objects around. It's a fascinating phenomenon!
The latest supermoon follows a similarly stunning one in November, which occurred just nine hours before the perigee, and a smaller one in October. So, if you missed those, you still have a chance to witness this celestial event.
But here's the kicker: astronomers say we'll have to wait until next year for the next supermoon, and it's expected to be even more noteworthy. The interval between passing perigee and the full moon will be shorter, making it an even closer encounter.
So, mark your calendars for December next year, and don't miss this incredible natural phenomenon!
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