Supermoon Blue Moon 2024: Top photos from around the world

Daisy Dobrijevic
·6 min read

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A large bright full moon with a slight orange tint in the background and in front is the silhouette of a cable car.
A cable car passes in front of August's full moon also known as the Supermoon Blue Moon. | Credit: PABLO PORCIUNCULA/AFP via Getty Images

August's Supermoon Blue Moon 2024 put on an epic show worldwide and we've rounded up some of the best photos to prove it.

The Supermoon Blue Moon occurred at 2:26 p.m. EDT (1826 GMT) on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, when the moon was 100% fully illuminated. Moonrise times are dependent on your viewing location.

August's full moon was a seasonal Blue Moon meaning it's the third full moon in a season that has four full moons. The term supermoon refers to a full moon that occurs when the moon is within 90% of its closest approach to Earth during its orbit, according to NASA. August's full moon will be followed by three more supermoons on Sept. 17, Oct. 17 and Nov. 15.

Here we take a look at some of the top Supermoon Blue Moon photos from around the world. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

Related: Photographer captures rare double 'moonbow' ahead of Supermoon Blue Moon. 'It was a wonderful sight to behold!'

Photographer Tiziana Fabi captured the full moon rising over the dome of St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City.

a large dome structure in the center with a big orange full moon shining just to the right of the dome.
a large dome structure in the center with a big orange full moon shining just to the right of the dome.

Below is a striking image of an airplane flying past the Supermoon Blue Moon. The scene was photographed from Kastellet, Copenhagen, Denmark.

a large fully illuminated moon in the background and in the foreground is the silhouette of an airplane flying across the moon.
a large fully illuminated moon in the background and in the foreground is the silhouette of an airplane flying across the moon.

Another photo from Denmark shows the August Full Moon rising over buildings in Kongekajen, Copenhagen.

in the foreground is a large building with water in front and a large orange yellow moon in the sky behind.
in the foreground is a large building with water in front and a large orange yellow moon in the sky behind.

Below, photographer Pablo Porciuncula captured the Supermoon Blue Moon behind the cable car of Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

a large bright full moon with a slight orange tint in the background and in front is the silhouette of a cable car.
a large bright full moon with a slight orange tint in the background and in front is the silhouette of a cable car.

Photographer Henry Nicholls captured August's full moon rising over residential office buildings in the Canary Wharf business district, London, U.K. The photograph was taken from Primrose Hill in north London.

a city scene at night with tall buildings in the foreground and a bright full moon colored orange appearing behind some clouds in the upper right corner of the image.
a city scene at night with tall buildings in the foreground and a bright full moon colored orange appearing behind some clouds in the upper right corner of the image.

The image below shows the Supermoon Full Moon shining above Huiju Temple, a Buddhist temple situated on the slope of Mount Jiuhua, Qingyang County, Anhui, China.

a tall temple structure with a large fully illuminated moon above.
a tall temple structure with a large fully illuminated moon above.

Kevin McCarthy captured this detailed view of the Supermoon Blue Moon on Aug. 19 from Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S., just before the clouds rolled in.

"Because of the approaching cloud cover, I had to act quickly to get an unobstructed photo of the moon," McCarthy told Space.com in an email. "This photo was taken hand-held, with a 150-600mm telephoto lens at full extension and cropped to show detail," McCarthy continued.

A fully illuminated moon against a black backdrop of night sky.
A fully illuminated moon against a black backdrop of night sky.

Photographer J. David Ake captured August's full moon shining brightly above the U.S. Air Force Memorial spires in Arlington, Virginia, U.S.

a bright full moon behind a wisp of cloud above three large spires reaching high into the sky.
a bright full moon behind a wisp of cloud above three large spires reaching high into the sky.

This striking image of the Supermoon Blue Moon rising over the Longquan Mountain Observation Deck on August 19, 2024, in Chengdu, Sichuan Province of China was captured by photographer Yang Qitian.

a large moon shines in the distance, in front is a long bridge-type observation deck with people standing on it. Their silhouettes' appears as a stark contrast on the lunar surface.
a large moon shines in the distance, in front is a long bridge-type observation deck with people standing on it. Their silhouettes' appears as a stark contrast on the lunar surface.

Photographer Robbie Pesiwarissa got up at 4 a.m. to capture this stunning image of the Supermoon Blue Moon about to set over Sydney Harbour and the Sydney Opera House at dawn.

"Although the sky [was] a little bit hazy but the color was mesmerizing," Pesiwarissa told Space.com in an email.

a dusty pink sky with a yellow hued full moon in the top right corner of the image with the Sydney skyline below, including the Sydney Opera House.
a dusty pink sky with a yellow hued full moon in the top right corner of the image with the Sydney skyline below, including the Sydney Opera House.

This dramatic image taken by photographer Ahmet Okatali shows August's full moon rising behind the Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.

a large orange red moon rises behind a large mosque.
a large orange red moon rises behind a large mosque.

Photographer Mert Alper Dervis captured this pretty image of the Supermoon Blue Moon rising over Toronto, Canada.

a fully illuminated moon on the right and small colored lights on the left are out of focus, they are pink, white and blue.
a fully illuminated moon on the right and small colored lights on the left are out of focus, they are pink, white and blue.

This iconic image of the Supermoon Blue Moon rising out of the clouds behind the Statue of Liberty in New York City, U.S., was captured by photographer Gary Hershorn.

the statue of liberty is in the foreground of the image and a bright moon shines just behind the statue through some clouds.
the statue of liberty is in the foreground of the image and a bright moon shines just behind the statue through some clouds.

Photographer Henrique Casinhas captured this colorful scene of the full moon shining next to the Cristo Rei statue in Lisbon, Portugal.

a large statue of Christ on the left is illuminated with green and red lights while the full moon shines brightly in the sky to the right of the statue.
a large statue of Christ on the left is illuminated with green and red lights while the full moon shines brightly in the sky to the right of the statue.

Photographer Nicolas Economou captured the full moon appearing near the city of Eindhoven in the Netherlands.

a hazy red moon faintly shines to the right of a tall apartment block building.
a hazy red moon faintly shines to the right of a tall apartment block building.

Astronomer Gianluca Masi livestreamed the rise of the Supermoon Blue Moon on the Virtual Telescope Project's WebTV page and YouTube channel. Masi then sent us this lovely view of the 100% illuminated moon as it rose over central Italy.

a fully illuminated moon against a black backdrop of sky.
a fully illuminated moon against a black backdrop of sky.

The Supermoon Blue Moon made quite the entrance when it rose over Seville, Spain. Photographer Cristina Quicler captured the majestic scene of the full moon shining over the cathedral on Aug. 19, 2024.

The full Moon rises over the cathedral of Seville and shines a dusty orange color.
The full Moon rises over the cathedral of Seville and shines a dusty orange color.

Photographer Lisa Shislowski sent us this lovely image of the full moon shining above Lauderdale Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.

"It was a rainy day today in Broward County, but the rain started clearing around 6 p.m. My go-to place was Fort Lauderdale Beach as it still seemed cloudy to the north and south," Shislowski told Space.com in an email.

"A small moon dog was to the south of the moon as it rose in the sky. Quite an active evening," Shislowski continued.

the full moon shines bright in the distance on the left and a small 'rainbow' sundog appears on the right of the image, there are three palm trees in the foreground.
the full moon shines bright in the distance on the left and a small 'rainbow' sundog appears on the right of the image, there are three palm trees in the foreground.

Below, two people enjoy the view of the full moon rising behind Nacka, Stockholm, Sweden.

two people sit and look at a full moon shining over a large body of water with buildings and trees in the distance.
two people sit and look at a full moon shining over a large body of water with buildings and trees in the distance.

This iconic photograph of the full moon rising through the Colosseum arches in Rome, Italy was captured by photographer Riccardo De Luca.

full moon between two large stone arches.
full moon between two large stone arches.

If all this full moon excitement has inspired you to explore our rocky companion in more detail, our ultimate guide to observing the moon will help you plan your next skywatching adventure — whether you're interested in exploring lunar seas, mountainous moon terrain, or the numerous craters that cover the surface. You can also track where astronauts, rovers, and landers have ventured with our Apollo landing sites observing guide.

Searching for a telescope or binoculars to observe the moon? Check out our guides on the best binoculars deals and the best telescope deals available now. Additionally, our recommendations for the best cameras and lenses for astrophotography can help you get ready to capture your next skywatching experience.

Editor's Note: If you snap a photo of the moon and would like to share it with Space.com's readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to [email protected].

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