The first of three supermoons expected to light up the sky this summer provided a breathtaking show to people around the world on Saturday night.
A supermoon, also known as a "perigee moon," occurs when a full moon comes closer to Earth on its elliptical orbit, making it brighter and bigger than a typical full moon, according to NASA.
"Generally speaking, full moons occur near perigee every 13 months and 18 days, so it's not all that unusual," said Geoff Chester of the U.S. Naval Observatory. "In fact, just last year, there were three perigee moons in a row, but only one was widely reported."
While it's sometimes difficult to see a supermoon due to poor weather conditions, Saturday night's appearance produced a stunning collection of photos.
From tonight's #fullmoon in #Seattle : Super Moon? What #supermoon ...? pic.twitter.com/IgAGcomAst— Tim Durkan (@timdurkan) July 13, 2014
From shining onto fans during a Dodgers baseball game to lighting up the Gaza Strip, we've rounded up breathtaking photos of the supermoon in our gallery, above.
Two more supermoons will take place this summer on August 10 and September 9.