Skywatchers are preparing for the latest ‘supermoon’ as Earth’s satellite makes its closest approach since 1948.
The UK’s best chance to see it will be on Monday evening, with the moon set to rise at 16:43 GMT in Edinburgh and at 16:44 GMT in London.
To observers, it will appear about 7 percent larger than normal and about 15 percent brighter - although the human eye is barely able to discern that difference.
The Moon was closest - only 221,524 miles (356,509km) away - at 11:21 GMT.
It won’t be this close again until November 25, 2034.
The Met Office’s UK forecast suggests it will be cloudy when the supermoon is closest, although it advises people to check their local forecast for the event.
As the Moon traces its orbit around the Earth, we see different proportions illuminated by the Sun. Once in each orbit, our satellite is totally illuminated - a full moon.
And as the Moon orbits the Earth every 27 days or so, it travels in an elliptical or oval shape.
This means that its distance from our planet is not constant but varies across a full orbit.
But within this uneven orbit there are further variations caused by the Earth's movements around the Sun.
These mean that the perigee - the closest approach - and full moon are not always in sync.
But occasions when the perigee and full moon coincide have become known in popular parlance as supermoons.
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