A so-called supermoon lit up the sky on Sunday, prompting enthusiasts and night owls to grab their cameras or mobile phones and take some stunning pictures.
The moon appeared 14% bigger and 30% brighter than normal as it reached the point in its orbit closest to the Earth, known as "perigee".
Supermoons occur relatively frequently but are not always noticeable because of clouds or poor weather.
The sensation in the sky came at the same time as stargazers are once again enjoying the Perseids meteor shower, one of the year's most dramatic lunar events.
Given a dark and clear sky in a normal year, it is common to see more than 100 of the meteors every hour during the second week in August - its peak is expected on Tuesday (August 12).
Dr Bill Cooke, from the American space agency Nasa's Meteoroid Environment Office, said the luminous supermoon risked drowning out the meteor shower.
He said: "Lunar glare wipes out the black-velvety backdrop required to see faint meteors, and sharply reduces counts."
But Dr Cooke added that the Perseids were also "rich in fireballs as bright as Jupiter or Venus", which would remain visible despite the moon's glare.