Supermoon captivates sky watchers across Pakistan
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7 Oct 2025
The first supermoon of 2025 illuminated the night sky across Pakistan on Tuesday evening, drawing astronomy enthusiasts and photographers to popular viewing spots to witness the celestial event.
According to the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco), the supermoon became visible around 7pm Pakistan Standard Time (PST). The event occurred just hours after Suparco issued a clarification regarding international reports suggesting that the phenomenon had appeared a day earlier.
A Suparco official explained that a timing overlap between two astronomical events — the Moon’s perigee and its full phase — made the Moon appear brighter on the previous night. “The perigee, or the Moon’s closest approach to Earth, took place at 7pm Coordinated Universal Time on October 6, which corresponds to 12am PST on October 7,” the official said.
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The official added that the full Moon — when it is fully illuminated — occurred at 8:47pm PST, and since both events took place within a few hours of each other, the occurrence qualified as a supermoon.
A supermoon appears up to 14% larger and nearly 30% brighter than a typical full Moon. Earlier, Suparco noted that during the event, the Moon was approximately 224,599 miles away from Earth, making it about 6.6% larger and 13% brighter than average.
The commission added that 2025’s brightest supermoon is expected in November, when the Moon will come even closer — about 221,817 miles from Earth.
The celestial event was visible across several regions of the world, including Pakistan, offering a striking visual experience for sky watchers. Adding to the spectacle, the planet Saturn appeared near the Moon toward the west on the evenings of October 6 and 7.
According to Suparco, two more supermoons will be visible later this year, on November 5 and December 5, marking an exciting end to 2025 for astronomy enthusiasts.
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