Pictures Of The Supermoon, As The Whole World Saw It

By Melisa Goh

Published May 23, 2012 at 9:49 AM CDT

1 of 8 — A supermoon rises behind wind turbines Saturday near Palm Springs, Calif.

2 of 8 — The full moon rises behind statues of angels fixed at the St. Isaak's Cathedral in St.Petersburg, Russia.

3 of 8 — Tourists look at the moon rising over the ancient temple of Poseidon at cape Sounion, south of Athens.

4 of 8 — Almost full moon behind the cross of the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) in Dresden, eastern Germany, on May 4, 2012.

The full moon rises behind a steeple with cross of Ayia Thekla (Saint Thekla) Christian Orthodox church near coastal resort of Ayia Napa, Cyprus.

5 of 8 — The full moon rises behind a steeple with cross of Ayia Thekla (Saint Thekla) Christian Orthodox church near coastal resort of Ayia Napa, Cyprus.

6 of 8 — The moon is seen over the landmark Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai, India, on Saturday.

7 of 8 — The full moon rises behind a steeple with crosses of an Orthodox church in the town of Novogrudok, Belarus.

8 of 8 — The moon hangs over Chevy Chase, Md., Saturday night.

Well before night fell stateside, the " supermoon" was already a star. Cameras from Tokyo to Athens gazed into its light, just a little bit brighter than usual.

It was enough to inspire some beautiful photos, so we thought we'd share what we've found.

For those who prefer science to art, NASA has a pleasant video to explain the phenomenon, uninspiringly called a "perigee moon." Well, we still think it's super.