Super Snow Moon lights up UAE sky and around the world

The moon is passing at its closest point to the earth

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Skygazers were treated to a rare sight last night and this morning as a Super Snow Moon was in full illumination.

Residents across the UAE would have noticed the full moon at its brightest and biggest this year as it passes at its closest point to the earth - in this case 221,681 miles away.

Some took to social media to share their view of the phenomenon over the likes of Dubai.

Visibility was excellent in the capital this morning as clear skies greeted sunrise. There was however light rain in Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah on Tuesday evening.

Super moons appear up to 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter than regular moons.

The snow moon has gained its name from the time of year, with February usually a month which sees plenty of snowfall.

This is the second super moon visible over the UAE in recent weeks, after the super blood wolf moon made an appearance in January.

On that occasion, the moon took on a reddish hue which was caused by a lunar eclipse - when the earth passes between the Moon and Sun, casting a shadow across the lunar surface. The Moon looked red because of sunlight scattering off the Earth's atmosphere.

Amateur photographers from around the world took the opportunity to grab their camera and capture the rare spectacle while the skies were clear.