See the best photos from Monday's super blue moon
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A rare celestial event was seen around the world, when a blue moon and a supermoon teamed up.
Stargazers around the world looked to the skies Monday night to catch a rare celestial collision — a super moon joining up with a blue moon.
Not only did Monday's full moon land at just about the same time as the moon was at its closest point to earth in orbit, but it was also the third full moon in a season that will see four.
Those two factors combined made the moon both super and blue.
"None of these, by the way, are true astronomical terms," explains Paul Delaney, a long-time astronomer and professor emeritus at York University.
"They sort of have grown up organically and have now become part of modern culture and astronomy has embraced them."
A blue moon could either be a second full moon in a calendar month, or a third full moon in a season that will have four full moons — as is the case this time.
