Pictures Of The Supermoon, As The Whole World Saw It

By Melisa Goh

Published May 23, 2012 at 10:49 AM EDT

1 of 8 — A supermoon rises behind wind turbines Saturday near Palm Springs, Calif.

A supermoon rises behind wind turbines Saturday near Palm Springs, Calif.

2 of 8 — The full moon rises behind statues of angels fixed at the St. Isaak's Cathedral in St.Petersburg, Russia.

The full moon rises behind statues of angels fixed at the St. Isaak's Cathedral in St.Petersburg, Russia.

3 of 8 — Tourists look at the moon rising over the ancient temple of Poseidon at cape Sounion, south of Athens.

Tourists look at the moon rising over the ancient temple of Poseidon at cape Sounion, south of Athens.

4 of 8 — Almost full moon behind the cross of the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) in Dresden, eastern Germany, on May 4, 2012.

Almost full moon behind the cross of the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) in Dresden, eastern Germany, on May 4, 2012.

5 of 8 — The full moon rises behind a steeple with cross of Ayia Thekla (Saint Thekla) Christian Orthodox church near coastal resort of Ayia Napa, Cyprus.

The full moon rises behind a steeple with cross of Ayia Thekla (Saint Thekla) Christian Orthodox church near coastal resort of Ayia Napa, Cyprus.

6 of 8 — The moon is seen over the landmark Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai, India, on Saturday.

The moon is seen over the landmark Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai, India, on Saturday.

7 of 8 — The full moon rises behind a steeple with crosses of an Orthodox church in the town of Novogrudok, Belarus.

The full moon rises behind a steeple with crosses of an Orthodox church in the town of Novogrudok, Belarus.

8 of 8 — The moon hangs over Chevy Chase, Md., Saturday night.

The moon hangs over Chevy Chase, Md., Saturday night.

Well before night fell stateside, the " supermoon" was already a star. Cameras from Tokyo to Athens gazed into its light, just a little bit brighter than usual.

It was enough to inspire some beautiful photos, so we thought we'd share what we've found.

For those who prefer science to art, NASA has a pleasant video to explain the phenomenon, uninspiringly called a "perigee moon." Well, we still think it's super.