Barcelona residents woke up to a stunning sight this morning – the first supermoon of autumn, also known as the Harvest Moon or Hunter’s Moon. This supermoon appeared 14% larger and 30% brighter than a regular full moon, lighting up the Catalan sky in spectacular fashion.
Social media flooded with magnificent images capturing the phenomenon. Meanwhile, Saturn made a special appearance alongside the moon, with its rings clearly visible – a treat for astronomy enthusiasts across the region.
The best time to view Saturn is during opposition, when Earth, Saturn and the Sun align – a phenomenon that occurs every 378 days. During this alignment, the planet appears brighter and larger than at any other time.
The term supermoon describes moments when the moon reaches its perigee – the point where it’s closest to Earth. Our satellite orbits Earth in an elliptical pattern. At its furthest point, called apogee, the moon sits 405,000 kilometres from Earth. At its closest point, the perigee, it’s just 363,300 kilometres away.
This proximity makes the moon appear significantly larger and brighter than usual. According to NASA, supermoons occur two to four times per year. Today’s supermoon is the first of three expected in 2025. The next chances to catch this phenomenon will be on 5 November and 5 December.
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