The biggest moon of the year dazzled over Liverpool on Wednesday night and was captured rising behind the Royal Liver Building in a series of stunning photographs.
It was a rare chance to see a blue supermoon. A blue Moon only happens when there are 13 full Moons in a year instead of 12. It last occurred in 2009. The Moon’s orbit was also at is closest point to the earth - around 222,000 miles away - making this one appear bigger, as a supermoon.
It’s called a blue Moon because of its rarity, rather than the colour. We have all heard the phrase ‘once in a blue Moon’.
How to see it: The blue supermoon hit its peak at around 2:35am on Thursday morning but Dr Greg Brown, astronomer at the Royal Observatory, told Sky News that visibility should be good for around a day afterwards.
If you look south as the Moon rises over Liverpool just after sunset on Thursday, at around 8.30pm, stargazers should be able to spot the last phase of the blue supermoon.
1. A blue supermoon rises behind the Royal Liver Building.
Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
2. A blue supermoon rises behind the Royal Liver Building.
Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
3. A blue supermoon rises behind the Royal Liver Building.
Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
4. A blue supermoon rises behind the Royal Liver Building.
Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images