Supermoon: Stargazers treated to stunning 'Full Worm Moon' as it lights up night skies across the world

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Stargazers have been treated to a full “Worm Moon” which lit up night skies across the world.

Incredible images showed the second supermoon of the year as it appeared in the sky after sunset on Monday.

It appeared bigger and brighter because it reached the perigee - the point in the orbit of the Moon when it's closest to the Earth.

Known as the "worm moon", the celestial event was expected to be visible in the UK from 5.35pm after sunset as the moon rose in the east.

An aircraft passes the rising full moon at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, on Monday night
AP

Royal Observatory astronomer Emily Drabek-Maunder said: "The March full moon is known as the worm moon, named after earthworms that emerge towards the beginning of spring as the ground thaws.

"Traditionally, monthly full moons are named from Native American tradition, but many also have Anglo-Saxon and Germanic origins.

A plane passes in front of the full moon as seen from Curitiba, Brazil, on Monday
AFP via Getty Images

"From those different origins, the March full moon has also been called the chaste moon, death moon, crust moon and even the sap moon after sap flowing from sugar maple trees."

This full moon was a supermoon, meaning it was about 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter in the sky as it reaches its closest point to Earth.

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Ms Drabek-Maunder said: "It will be slightly bigger in the sky, though this will not be easily noticeable by eye."

The moon will set in the west at sunrise on Tuesday morning around 7.13am, Ms Drabek-Maunder said.

The first supermoon event of 2020 occurred last month and the next one will take place on April 8.

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