Supermoon lights up night sky over Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The first supermoon of 2025 illuminated the night sky over Pakistan on Tuesday, as astronomy enthusiasts flocked to popular viewing points to capture the celestial event.

The event took place around 7pm Pakistan Standard Time (PST), just hours after a clarification by Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) regarding international media reports claiming that the supermoon had risen a day earlier.

A Suparco official said that a timing overlap caused the spectacle to appear brighter a night earlier.

Speaking to Geo.tv, the Suparco official said that the October 6 event, called the perigee, was the Moon's closest approach to Earth, which could also be defined as a supermoon.

The perigee occurred at 7pm Coordinated Universal Time on October 6, which is 12am PST on October 7, according to the official.

The Suparco official stated that the full Moon — when it is fully illuminated — will occur at 08:47pm PST.

Since both these events — full Moon and the perigee — occurred within a few hours of each other, it qualified as a supermoon, the official added.

A supermoon appears up to 14% larger and nearly 30% brighter than a typical full Moon.

Earlier, the Suparco stated that the Moon would be at a distance of 224,599 miles from Earth, making it about 6.6% larger and 13% brighter than an average full Moon.

This year's brightest supermoon, however, is expected in November when the Moon will be 221,817 miles away from Earth.

The phenomenon will be visible across the world, including in Pakistan, promising a breathtaking night sky for observers and photographers alike.

Adding to the visual delight, the planet Saturn will appear close to the Moon, visible to the west (left) on the evenings of October 6 and 7.

Following this event, two more supermoons will adorn the skies on November 5 and December 5, marking a memorable end to the year for astronomy enthusiasts.