The ‘Supermoon’ of 1 August 2023 was captured by astrophotographers around the world.
By Iain Todd
Published: Thursday, 03 August 2023 at 07:35 AM
The term ‘supermoon’ can be a bit of a talking point in astronomy. What the term refers to is a full Moon that occurs at perigee: the point in the Moon’s orbit when it’s closest to Earth.
This ‘perigee full Moon’ appears a little bigger and brighter than your average full Moon, although when observing the Moon either side of the ‘supermoon’ evening, you wouldn’t really notice much difference.
The technical name for a supermoon is actually a ‘perigee syzygy Moon’.
Nevertheless, the hype and excitement surrounding supermoons is something we can all enjoy, as often we take our closest celestial neighbour for granted, instead saving our excitement for constellations, deep-sky objects and solar eclipses.
The 1 August 2023 supermoon rising over Galata Tower in Istanbul, Turkey. Credit: Cem Tekkesinoglu/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
1 August 2023 saw the first of two supermoons that will occur during the month, the next being on 31 August.
As a result, the 31 August supermoon is what some people refer to as a ‘Super Blue Moon’. You can find out more about this in our guide to August’s Super Blue Moon.
But will that supermoon actually be a blue Moon in the true sense of the term? You can find out more about this in our blue Moon guide.
Whatever our thoughts on supermoons and blue Moons, they make for a great opportunity to get out, get looking up at the night sky and admire the majesty of a bright full Moon.
And whenever a supermoon occurs, astrophotographers around the world set out to capture amazing images of our slightly bigger, slightly brighter lunar companion, creating beautiful moments that we all can enjoy.
Here are some of the best images of the 1 August 2023 supermoon that we’ve received and seen online so far.
The 1 August 2023 supermoon captured by Dario Giannobile at the castle of Cefalà Diana, Sicily. The image shows the Super Moon of August 2023 rising between the castle walls and taking on the colour of the adjacent main tower. Equipment: Canon EOS 7D DSLR camera, Sigma 150-600mm lens @900mm.
The 1 August 2023 supermoon captured by Soumyadeep Mukherjee, Kolkata India. Passing clouds create a vivid iridescence from the moonlight. The final image is a result of a blend of 2 images (focus stacked), one for the foreground and one for the sky, taken from the same position. Equipment: Nikon Z6ii camera, Samyang 135mm lens, Leofoto tripod
The 1 August 2023 supermoon captured by Sérgio Conceição from the medieval village of Monsaraz, Alentejo, Portugal.
The 1 August 2023 supermoon captured by Sérgio Conceição from the medieval village of Monsaraz, Alentejo, Portugal.
The 1 August 2023 supermoon captured by Osama Fathi at the Nile River, Cairo, Egypt. The image shows the Moon’s brightness reflected in the water. Equipment: Nikon Z6 mod. Camera, RedCat51 250mm.
The 1 August 2023 supermoon captured by Stan Grossfeld, Boston, MA, USA. The image shows the supermoon next to Boston University’s Center for Computing and Data Sciences (known as the Jenga Building). Credit: Stan Grossfeld/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
The 1 August 2023 supermoon rising over Galata Tower in Istanbul, Turkey. Credit: Cem Tekkesinoglu/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
The 1 August 2023 supermoon captured by Xue Bing in Korla, Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China. Credit: Xue Bing/VCG via Getty Images
The 1 August 2023 supermoon captured by Fatih Aktas, New York City, USA. The image shows the Moon shining bright orange above the Empire State Building. Credit: Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Did you capture an image of the 1 August 2023 supermoon? Don’t forget to send us your images.
