Supermoon: the perigee moon of 2012

The night sky on May 5 was animated by the once-a-year cosmic event of the perigee moon. Popularly known as the "Supermoon", the moon appears much larger above us when the elliptical orbit brings it within 221,802 miles to Earth, the closest point. The effect is magnified during a full moon, when we see our nearest celestial neighbor appear roughly 20 percent brighter and 15 percent larger. Collected here are images taken just before, during, and just after the perigee moon of 2012. -- Lane Turner (27 photos total)

The May's full moon rises beside San Francisco's Coit Tower on May 5, 2012. (Frederic Larson/San Francisco Chronicle/Associated Press)

The moon shines behind the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro on May 6, 2012. (Victor R. Caivano/Associated Press) 

Lanterns released by Buddhist worshippers fly as the full moon shines in the background during a procession commemorating Waisak, which marks the birth, death and enlightenment of Buddha at the 9th century Borobudur temple in Magelang, Indonesia. (Slamet Riyadi/Associated Press) 

A full moon shines behind the minaret of Mohamed Ali Mosque in Cairo on May 5, 2012. (Asmaa Waguih/Reuters) 

Wrangler Nate Cummins rides by moonlight on the night before the "Super Moon" during Montana Horses' annual horse drive outside Three Forks, Montana on May 4, 2012. Approximately 300 horses are rounded up and driven 35 miles from their winter range to the Mantle ranch over the course of three days. (Jim Urquhart/Reuters) 

Skipper Ken Read works at the navigation station while the crew sail under full Supermoon conditions onboard PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG during leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 on May 6, 2012 from Itajai, Brazil, to Miami. (Amory Ross/PUMA Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race via Getty Images) 

The moon rises behind the cross of the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) in Dresden, Germany on May 4, 2012. (Robert Michael/AFP/GettyImages) 

The full moon rises behind a steeple of the cross of Ayia Thekla (Saint Thekla) Christian Orthodox church near the coastal resort of Ayia Napa, Cyprus on May 5, 2012. (Petros Karadjias/Associated Press) 

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The full moon rises behind a mosque in Amman on May 5, 2012. (Ali Jarekji/Reuters) #

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A runner makes his way along a trail on a butte in front of the moon at Papago Park in Phoenix on May 5, 2012. (Darryl Webb/Reuters) #

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The moon rises above an egret nesting area in Wichita, Kansas on May 5, 2012. (Bo Rader/The Wichita Eagle/Associated Press) #

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The moon shines behind a rose bush in Los Angeles on May 5, 2012. (Joe Klamar/AFP/GettyImages) #

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The moon rises over Los Angeles on May 5, 2012. (Patrick T. Fallon/Reuters) #

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The moon rises over the Angel's Gate lighthouse in San Pedro, Calif. on May 5, 2012. (Chuck Bennett/Daily Breeze/Associated Press) #

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The moon rises over Vancouver on May 5, 2012. (Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press/Associated Press) #

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The moon rises behind wind turbines on May 5, 2012 near Palm Springs, Calif. (David McNew/Getty Images) #

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Tourists look at the moon rising over the ancient temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, Greece on May 5, 2012. (Aris Messinis/AFP/Getty Images) #

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The moon rises over Cultus Mountain on May 5, 2012 in Skagit County, Wash. (Scott Terrell/Skagit Valley Herald/Associated Press) #

The moon lights up Waikiki and Diamond Head on May 5, 2012 in Honolulu. (Eugene Tanner/Associated Press) 

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The moon appears behind statues of angels on the St. Isaak's Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia on May 5, 2012. (Dmitry Lovetsky/Associated Press) #

The moon appears behind a steeple of an Orthodox church in the town of Novogrudok, Belarus on May 5, 2012. (Sergei Grits/Associated Press) 

The moon appears behind the Mare shanty town complex in Rio de Janeiro on May 6, 2012. (Victor R. Caivano/Associated Press) 

Maple leaves are silhouetted by the moon in Spring Lake Township, Mich. on May 6, 2012. (Cory Morse/The Grand Rapids Press/Associated Press) 

A statue of ancient Greek Goddess Athena is highlighted by the moon in Athens on May 6, 2012. (Kostas Tsironis/Associated Press) 

Fishermen cast from a jetty as the moon rises over the Atlantic Ocean on May 5, 2012 near Bal Harbour, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press) 

The moon rises over the skyline of Manhattan and One World Trade Center (left) in New York on May 6, 2012. (Gary Hershorn/Reuters) 

The full moon rises above Los Angeles on May 5, 2012. (Salman Jafri)