A spectacular blue supermoon illuminated skies in the UAE and around the world on Monday evening.
Stargazers were treated to the first of three expected supermoon appearances this week.
The National's Chris Whiteoak photographed the shimmering Moon rising above the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.
The blue – or sturgeon – supermoon is due to be visible until Wednesday, during which time it will appear larger and brighter because of the full moon's closer proximity to Earth.
The Moon, while bigger and brighter, does not typically have a blue hue during the lunar event.
“Speculations on the origin of the term include an old English phrase that means 'betrayer moon' (because it led to mistakes in setting the dates for Lent and Easter),” said Nasa.
However, the US space agency said there are rare circumstances when the Moon may indeed appear blue. “It may be a comparison to rare events such as when dust in the atmosphere makes the Moon actually appear blue.”
This full moon is also called the sturgeon supermoon, named after the sturgeon fish that was traditionally abundant in the Great Lakes, in the east-central US, during this time of year.
The Maine Farmers' Almanac began publishing Native American names for full moons in the 1930s, and these have become widely known and used. Others include red moon, corn or green corn moon, barley moon, herb moon, grain moon and dog moon.
