'Supermoon' lights up sky around the world

The moon has come closer to Earth than at any other time since 1948. Sky gazers around the world are congregating near landmarks, on beaches and atop tall buildings to take a look.

The "supermoon" reached its brightest in Asia on Monday evening.

The Moon was closest - only 221,524 miles (356,509km) away - at 11:21 GMT.

The supermoon is seen here above the Boudhanath stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal

A plane flies across the moon - seen from Beijing, China

Cambodians gather on the riverside near the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh

The moon orbits the Earth in an ellipse, not a circle, so it is sometimes closer to the Earth than it is at other times.

When the perigee - the closest approach - and the full moon coincide, it is known as a supermoon.

This supermoon was best seen in North America early on Monday, before dawn. The UK's best chance to see it will be on Monday evening.

Supermoons appear about 14% larger and 30% brighter when compared with the furthest point the Moon gets to within its orbit.

The moon rises behind a Soyuz MS spacecraft at the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan

Crowds gathered at Bondi Beach in Sydney were left disappointed when thick clouds obscured their view of the moon

North Americans have already had the chance to see the moon at its most luminescent

The moon will not be this close again until 25 November 2034 - when it will be even closer, within 221,485 miles.

Those hoping to get a good picture are advised to take a photo of the moon with a reference point, like a landmark, in frame.

If you're using a digital SLR - use a daylight white balance setting to capture moonlight, Nasa photographer Bill Ingalls advises.

Beachgoers watch the moon rise in Chennai, India

Supermoons bring stronger and higher tides than usual. In Cape Town, South Africa, that effect has combined with gale force winds

The moon rises over Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong

Images from agencies and BBC