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Supermoon, or super cloudy? Storm clouds block Melbourne's view of the supermoon

Melbourne frustrated sky watchers on Monday night, with bad weather clouding their view of the biggest moon in almost 70 years.

Dark storm clouds swept over the city after a short burst of sunshine on Monday evening, completely blocking the view of the moon.

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Supermoon spotted around the world

From Sydney to Washington DC, spectators look up to the skies to catch sight of the brightest moon in almost 69 years.

To add insult to injury, Sydneysiders were treated to the spectacle. It rose over Sydney Harbour just after 8pm.

Meanwhile, Brisbane residents claimed they could read outside, such was the brightness of the supermoon there.

Frustrated sky watchers at Williamstown Esplanade.
Frustrated sky watchers at Williamstown Esplanade. Photo: Pat Scala

Krystal Lococo, from North Melbourne, was one of the hundreds who flocked to Williamstown on Monday evening to try to catch a glimpse of the supermoon. 

"The moon hasn't come out," she said, still hopeful, at 8.30pm. 

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"I'm still out here, but there's been no luck. Probably about half the people have packed up.

"Unfortunately you can't control the weather." 

Photo gallery
Where's the supermoon?

Some got creative ...

Can we see it again?

There will not be another supermoon - like the one the rest of the country saw on Monday - until November 25, 2034. But there will be another supermoon next month, albeit not at perigee. December's supermoon will occur on the 14th, when the moon's orbit will place it 360,390 kilometres from Earth – 3837 kilometres further away from us than November's supermoon.

What were we looking for?

Keen-eyed observers would have been able to pick out lunar landmarks. The maria, the moon's low-lying seas, are the darker patches. Apollo 11's famous landing site is on the easterly edge of the Sea of Tranquility. The Tycho crater and Copernicus crater are the lighter-coloured circles. Remember, too, that we see the moon "upside down" compared to those in the northern hemisphere.

What is a supermoon anyway?

A supermoon occurs when you have a combination of two things: a full moon and the moon at perigee – the point in its orbit when it is approaching Earth at its closest. On November 14, this will bring the moon 50,000 kilometres closer to Earth.

Why was this one so special?

This wasn't just any supermoon. This monster appeared up to 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter than an average full moon, for those who could see it. It was the biggest one is almost 70 years. This is because the moon is, astronomically speaking, close to Earth at a mere 356,553 kilometres away. It'll be 18 years until it's this close to us again.

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