Supermoon shines brightly over Devon and Cornwall
- Published
- Image source, BBC Weather Watchers/Jane Lewarne
Image caption, The full Moon over St Erme
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Stargazers in Devon and Cornwall have been enjoying October's full Moon, known as the Hunter's Moon.
Supermoons happen when the Moon is closest to the Earth, appearing bigger and brighter than normal - up to 15% brighter and 30% bigger than regular full Moons.
This year the Moon will appear full for about three days and will be the brightest of all the supermoons this year.
October's full Moon is nicknamed the Hunter's Moon because it occurs at the time of year when hunters would traditionally have been most active - planning for the winter months ahead by hunting animals for food.
What is a supermoon and why is it so bright?
A supermoon is when the Moon appears bigger than usual.
This occurs because the Moon's orbit around Earth is not a perfect circle - it is an elliptical or egg-shaped orbit.
So sometimes the Moon is closer to Earth and so looks bigger, while appears smaller when it is further away.
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