Summer’s second supermoon appears

By Rachel Feltman and Jason Samenow The Washington Post August 08, 2014

Sunday brought a special cosmological treat. The year’s biggest and brightest full moon rose.

This year has three supermoons. We had one July 12, and have yet another one Sept. 9. But the supermoon this weekend was the most ‘‘super’’ of the bunch.

The term refers to the time when the moon, which orbits Earth in a slightly elliptical trajectory, is at the absolute closest it can get while also being full. Other full moons have come close. But as a supermoon, Sunday’s was ever so slightly more magnificent.

‘‘The size difference between even the dimmest and brightest full moon is only a bit more than 10 percent,’’ said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, research space scientist at NASA’ Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. ‘‘So the difference between other ‘supermoons’ and this one isn’t huge.’’

Lunar events should be especially exciting to urbanites.

PHOTOS: August supermoon around the world

A look at images from social media

@BostonGlobe near Hershey, PA. pic.twitter.com/TMAsKhfY5A
— Ralph Duquette (@Coach_Ralph) August 11, 2014

#supermoon2014 obscured by thick blanket of clouds in the sky above mashpee on #capecod @BostonGlobe pic.twitter.com/qMQYPD0yoZ
— Jermaine Reid (@jermaine5821) August 11, 2014

@BostonGlobe #Supermoon over Montagne Sainte-Victoire in Aix-en-Provence pic.twitter.com/A3tM3Ud1xX
— Clare Delmar (@ClareDelmar) August 11, 2014

@BostonGlobe pic.twitter.com/PAjtcGbuQe
— Melinda (@melindafineart) August 11, 2014

@BostonGlobe Cloudy in Phoenix. :-( pic.twitter.com/733umBCqOi
— Colleen Hawk (@ColleenHawk) August 11, 2014

@BostonGlobe La aGuajira, Colombia pic.twitter.com/UXmykKxg50
— sandra burgos (@sandraburgos12) August 11, 2014

@BostonGlobe Southie... pic.twitter.com/hw3c8sxpKf
— Kate (@thescarlettkate) August 11, 2014

@BostonGlobe - moon over Laredo, texas pic.twitter.com/aNTsvxwWjw
— Regina Garza (@gina7491) August 11, 2014

@BostonGlobe Somerset, England Uk - moon rising over a cornfield pic.twitter.com/ILlEUnjWO3
— Clive Chamberlain (@MrCliveC) August 11, 2014

@BostonGlobe Fort Lauderdale Beach pic.twitter.com/WzDH9FbVzI
— Newton Berwig, Jr. (@NewtonjrFLL) August 11, 2014

Best thing about @BostonGlobe location? When #logan airport flight path meets #supermoon! pic.twitter.com/YzvaL6qWiA
— David Filipov (@davidfilipov) August 11, 2014

@BostonGlobe From Brisbane #queensland #australia pic.twitter.com/xtpSjAIiI1
— Shelley Lloyd (@shelleymlloyd) August 10, 2014

@BostonGlobe pic.twitter.com/uz24fKNvUN
— David Luengo (@davidluengor) August 10, 2014

Tara Conway Tanzer via Facebook

In Madeket beach, Nantucket.

Known as the Sturgeon Moon (because of the abundance of sturgeon in the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain at this time of year), it became full officially at 2:09 p.m., just 26 minutes after coming closest to Earth.

PHOTOS: August supermoon around the world

PHOTOS: First of three supermoons this year

While the moon officially reached full phase Sunday afternoon, it appeared more or less full Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings (at 96 to 99 percent illumination).

The moon rose at 7:55 p.m. and was expected to set at 7:20 a.m. Monday.

• The Perseid meteor shower slated to begin today

• Photos: First of three supermoons this year