A RARE blue supermoon was captured in pictures over Basingstoke on Wednesday night.
The moon appeared brighter and larger than normal in the night sky as the ‘once in a blue moon’ event saw the moon orbit the Earth at its nearest position – 222,043 miles away – approximately 30,000 miles closer than normal.
The phenomenon occurs when the pattern of days in a year means there are 13 full Moons instead of the usual 12.
Despite the name, this moon does not actually appear blue in colour, the name in fact refers to the fact that it is the second moon of the calendar month.
It is common to only have one full moon each month, with a second occurring every two or three years, the next blue supermoon will occur in 2037.
Residents across the town were eager to capture the unique moment, with photographers staying up late into the night to take the perfect picture.
These photos were taken by members of the Basingstoke Gazette Camera Club.
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