Indian stargazers feel the cosmic pull of ‘Supermoon’; see pics

Supermoon in Kolkata sky on December 03, 2017. A supermoon occurs when the full moon is at the closest point of its orbit to the Earth. Since the Moon’s orbit is elliptical, one side (apogee) is about 50,000 km farther from Earth than the other (perigee). (Express photo: Partha Paul)

But within this orbit, further variations can be caused by the Earth’s movements around the Sun. These mean that the perigee – the closest approach – and full moon are not always in sync. (Express photo: Partha Paul)

The Moon appears bigger and brighter in the sky as it moves closer to Earth. As per BBC reports, the moon was to appear about 7 per cent larger and 15 per cent brighter, although the difference is barely noticeable to the human eye. (Express photo: Partha Paul)

December’s full moon is traditionally known as the “cold moon”. (Express photo: Partha Paul)

The full moon on Sunday night marks the first and only supermoon of 2017. (Express photo: Partha Paul)

The Shaheed Minar formerly known as Ochterlony monument is also seen in the picture. (Express photo: Partha Paul)