This summer, people all over the country got a chance to witness a rare astronomical occurrence, as a total solar eclipse passed right through the heart of America, thrilling millions of people in the process.
On Sunday night, a much more common, but equally breathtaking occurrence took place as the lone supermoon of 2017 hung in the sky. And you didn't need special glasses to view it, although a good camera could come in handy.
So what exactly is a supermoon?
According to Space.com: "A supermoon happens when the full moon coincides with the moon's closest approach to Earth in its orbit. Supermoons make the moon appear a little brighter and closer than normal, although the difference is hard to spot with the naked eye."
Here's a helpful video:
Amateur and professional photographers alike took the chance to capture the supermoon, and the results are pretty stunning.
Like this photo taken at the Sodus Bay Lighthouse in New York, along the shores of Lake Ontario:
Or this one taken in Portland, Maine:
Along the water tended to be a popular spot, as evidenced by this photo taken on Safety Harbor in Florida:
But some landlocked areas created dazzling images as well, like this photo taken in Austin, Texas:
Or this one of the supermoon behind some clouds over the Grand Canyon:
The photos ranged from breathtaking:
To rather silly (but cute):
ABC News shared an incredible time-lapse video of the moon setting over the chapel at St. George's School in Middletown, Rhode Island:
If you missed your chance to see this year's supermoon with your own eyes, don't despair. The next two full moons will be supermoons as well, so you'll have chances to witness the moon in all its splendor on both January 1 and January 31 of 2018.
Perhaps the three supermoons could have different nicknames:
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@kileywrestling/Bluesky
