Supermoon puts on a stellar display

The phenomenon is known as the supermoon.

The moon has never been this bigger and brighter in last seven decades than of last Monday.

India’s national emblem silhouetted in front of the supermoon in New Delhi, India.

Tonight is when the moon-in its full-moon phase-will be at its closest to Earth.

The supermoon also brings stronger than usual high tides, followed by plunging low tides the next morning. But the moon’s orbit is oval so it comes close every month.

Spectators lined up in France, Israel and Germany to watch the moon rise behind famous monuments like the Eiffel Tower, Dormition Abbey, and the Brandenburg Gate.

The brightest supermoon in 68 years has been visible in night skies around the world this week. The scientific term is perigee full moon. This one is special for another reason – it is the only full moon close approach this year.

“I’ve been telling people to go out at night on either Sunday or Monday night to see the supermoon”, said Noah Petro, deputy project scientist for NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission. Even future perigees won’t seem as large as this one because the moon is gradually drifting away from Earth, so do treasure it.

Many people are buzzing on social media about the possibility of this year’s supermoon sparking the end times and second coming of Christ. Many are now asking: will there ever be a next supermoon after 2016?

The full moon graced the clear skies of Cape Town, South Africa, giving locals a chance to catch a glimpse of the celestial spectacle. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) The moon rises behind Reunion Tower in downtown Dallas, Sunday evening, November 13, 2016.

The last time the moon was this close to the Earth was in 1948.

The supermoon simply refers to a fairly common occurrence when the moon reaches its perigee at around the same time as it becomes “full”, or fully illuminated by the sun.

Monday’s event is the biggest and best in a series of three supermoons.