First supermoon of 2025 to illuminate Pakistan's skies on Oct 7

Astronomical experts have announced that the first full moon of 2025, also known as a supermoon, will grace the night skies in the first week of October, when the Moon reaches its closest point to Earth.

According to the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco), the first supermoon of the year will be visible across the globe, including in Pakistan, on October 7.

When the Moon reaches its perigee — the point in its orbit nearest to Earth — it appears significantly larger and brighter than usual, earning it the designation of a supermoon.

Suparco officials stated that the 7 October supermoon will appear 14% larger and 30% brighter than an average full moon. On that night, the Moon will be approximately 224,599 miles (361,400 kilometres) from Earth.

This will be the first supermoon in 11 months, the last one having occurred in November 2024.

Following this event, additional supermoons are expected on 5 November and 5 December 2025. A fourth will occur in early January 2026, though it will not be counted as part of the 2025 supermoon cycle.

On average, three to four supermoons occur each year.

Interestingly, experts noted that when a supermoon rises near the horizon, it can appear even larger to the naked eye due to an optical illusion — a phenomenon that has fascinated sky-watchers for centuries.