'Super Pink Moon' lights up UAE sky

The astronomical event occurs when the Moon passes Earth at its closest point

The pink supermoon rises over the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, in April 2020. Victor Besa / The National

The pink supermoon shines over Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National

It's right there: A traffic light points the way to the supermoon in Frankfurt, Germany. Reuters

The supermoon hangs low in the sky in Barcelona, Spain. EPA

The biggest full moon of 2020 rises behind a lighthouse in Valletta, Malta. Reuters

A church cross is silhouetted by the pink supermoon, in Melbourne, Australia. EPA

The supermoon passes in the night sky behind the high-rise buildings in Milan, Italy. EPA

Buildings in the West Bank city of Nablus are silhouetted by the pink supermoon. EPA

The pink supermoon rises over the skyline of Nairobi, Kenya. Reuters

The pink supermoon shines above India Gate war memorial, in New Delhi, India. AFP

A close-up of the supermoon as it rises in the night sky over the Philippines' capital Manila. EPA

The pink supermoon provides an excellent opportunity for moon-viewing in Tokyo, Japan. AFP

The supermoon illuminates a German national flag flying in Berlin. Bloomberg

The pink supermoon looms on the horizon in Quito, Ecuador. EPA

The pink supermoon rises above Wat Saket Temple in Bangkok, Thailand. Reuters

Shining brightly, the supermoon rises over Saint Peter's Cathedral in Adelaide, Australia. EPA

The pink supermoon sets behind the giant 'Mother of the Motherland' statue in central Kiev, Ukraine. Reuters

The church cross is silhouetted by the pink supermoon in downtown Moscow, Russia. AFP

Traffic passes along a road in Minsk, Belarus, as the pink supermoon hangs in the sky. Reuters

A statue of the Roman god Mercury, mounted on a hotel in Nashville, US, is silhouetted by the supermoon. AP Photo

The pink supermoon rises behind the 'Seven Magic Mountains' artwork by Ugo Rondinone, in Las Vegas, US. AP Photo

A flock of birds returning to roost passes in front of the pink supermoon, in Arlington, US. REUTERS

The pink supermoon rises behind the Sacre-Coeur du Horn statue of Christ, in Wolxheim, near Strasbourg, France. Reuters

A red traffic light with the pink supermoon in the background, in High Wycombe, England. Getty Images

The pink supermoon rises behind the angel wind vane of the Burgtheater in Vienna, Austria. EPA

Stargazers across the UAE enjoyed the largest Supermoon of the year on Wednesday evening.

Clear skies for most meant strong visibility of about 10 kilometres.

With people staying at home due to the coronavirus, the Dubai Astronomy Group broadcast the spectacle live over their social media channels.

The 'Super Pink Moon' was the biggest and brightest of the four Supermoons to appear this year.

Supermoons get their name as they occur when the Moon passes the Earth at its closest point, making it appear larger and brighter than a normal full Moon.

The April 8 Supermoon was expected o be 14 per cent larger than normal, according to experts.

It is the third Supermoon of the year. The first one was the Snow Moon on February 9, followed by the Worm Moon on March 9, when the Moon appeared about 10 per cent larger than normal.

The last Supermoon of the year will be the Flower Moon on May 7.

“The names of the moons aren’t the scientific ones,” said Hasan Al Hariri, the chief executive of the Dubai Astronomy Group.

"Some have been named to represent the importance of certain seasons in different parts of the world, such as the Pink Moon."

A Native American tribe gave the Pink Moon its name to represent the spring blooms of a wild flower called phlox subulata.

However, the name has nothing to do with the colour of the Moon.

Instead it takes on a golden hue near the horizon and fades to bright white.

The Supermoon will be followed by the Lyrid meteor shower, which will last from April 16 to 25.

Between 10 and 15 meteors an hour can be expected during the shower’s peak.