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Pictures Of The Supermoon, As The Whole World Saw It

By editor • May 6, 2012
  • The "supermoon" over Athens Saturday night.
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    The "supermoon" over Athens Saturday night.
    Aris Messinis / AFP/Getty Images
  • The full moon rises behind statues of angels fixed at the St. Isaak's Cathedral in St.Petersburg, Russia.
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    The full moon rises behind statues of angels fixed at the St. Isaak's Cathedral in St.Petersburg, Russia.
    Dmitry Lovetsky / AP
  • Tourists look at the moon rising over the ancient temple of Poseidon at cape Sounion, south of Athens.
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    Tourists look at the moon rising over the ancient temple of Poseidon at cape Sounion, south of Athens.
    Aris Messinis / Getty Images
  • Almost full moon behind the cross of the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) in Dresden, eastern Germany, on May 4, 2012.
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    Almost full moon behind the cross of the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) in Dresden, eastern Germany, on May 4, 2012.
    Robert Michael / GettyImages
  • The full moon rises behind a steeple with cross of Ayia Thekla (Saint Thekla) Christian Orthodox church near coastal resort of Ayia Napa, Cyprus.
    View Slideshow 5 of 9
    The full moon rises behind a steeple with cross of Ayia Thekla (Saint Thekla) Christian Orthodox church near coastal resort of Ayia Napa, Cyprus.
    Petros Karadjias / AP
  • The moon is seen over the landmark Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai, India, on Saturday.
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    The moon is seen over the landmark Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai, India, on Saturday.
    Rajanish Kakade / AP
  • The full moon rises behind a steeple with crosses of an Orthodox church in the town of Novogrudok, Belarus.
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    The full moon rises behind a steeple with crosses of an Orthodox church in the town of Novogrudok, Belarus.
    Sergei Grits / AP
  • The moon hangs over Chevy Chase, Md., Saturday night.
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    The moon hangs over Chevy Chase, Md., Saturday night.
    Mandel Ngan / AFP/GettyImages
  • A supermoon rises behind wind turbines Saturday near Palm Springs, Calif.
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    A supermoon rises behind wind turbines Saturday near Palm Springs, Calif.
    David McNew / Getty Images
Originally published on May 23, 2012 8:49 am

Well before night fell stateside, the "supermoon" was already a star. Cameras from Tokyo to Athens gazed into its light, just a little bit brighter than usual.

It was enough to inspire some beautiful photos, so we thought we'd share what we've found.

For those who prefer science to art, NASA has a pleasant video to explain the phenomenon, uninspiringly called a "perigee moon." Well, we still think it's super.

Copyright 2012 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.