The super full moon glows orange on Oct 7, photographed from the top floor of Mandai Tekong Park. - COURTESY OF A KANNAN
SINGAPORE: The first of three super full moons of 2025 dazzled astronomy enthusiasts and stargazers on Tuesday (Oct 7) night, with some saying that it appeared larger and brighter than usual.
Also known as the Harvest Moon, a term used for the full moon that falls closest to the autumnal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, the spectacle came just a day after the Mid-Autumn Festival on Oct 6.
People in Singapore took to social media to share their images of the Moon, juxtaposed against HDB blocks, the cityscape skyline and quiet suburban parks.
Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong took to Instagram to share an image of the Moon captured by a resident in Ang Mo Kio. In the image’s caption, he noted that the Harvest Moon is the first of three supermoons this year.
Doris Ong shared photographs of the Moon on Facebook, showing it hovering just above an HDB block with a striking orange glow, and noted that it looked “bigger and rounder”.
Nicholas Tan, who also shared an image of the Moon hovering beside a residential block, said in the accompanying caption that he was “very lucky” to have caught a glimpse of the phenomenon.
Speaking to The Straits Times, A. Kannan, a 60-year-old public servant, said he had been watching the skies closely for the super full moon.
With clear eastern skies, he spotted it shortly after its 7.03pm rise glowing bright orange-red.
He enjoys photographing the Moon against buildings, which makes it appear larger, he said.
“The best shot of the moon is always during the initial rise as the moon will appear smaller when it is higher up in the sky,” he added.
A supermoon happens when the Moon is at its closest point to Earth in its orbit, a position known as the perigee. Because of this proximity, it can appear up to 14 per cent larger and about 30 per cent brighter than a typical full moon, according to US space agency Nasa.
The Oct 7 supermoon marks the first in a trio of super full moons that will light up Singapore’s skies in 2025. The next two – the Beaver Moon and the Cold Moon – are expected to occur on Nov 5 and Dec 4.
With two more super full moons expected before the year’s end, stargazers have good reason to keep their cameras ready – though clear skies are never guaranteed in humid Singapore. - The Straits Times/ANN
