Photos: Supermoon From Around the Globe

Around the globe, folks observed the so-called "supermoon." Not impressed? Here's why NASA says the "supermoon" is worth getting out of bed to observe.

This weekend's moon appears 14 percent larger than normal and 30 percent brighter. It happens because the moon orbits the earth in an off-center, oval pattern. Once a year, the moon reaches "perigee," the point when it's closest to the Earth.

Later in the year, when the moon is the farthest from the Earth, its position is termed apogee.

But some folks doubt whether the moon looked any different Saturday night than it did the rest of the year. That's reasonable, according to the folks at NASA, because 14 percent larger isn't all that noticeable.

"There are no rulers floating in the sky to measure lunar diameter," according to a NASA video. "Hanging high over head with no reference points, one full moon can seem just like another."

But if you observe the moon just as it clears the horizon, it's much easier to distinguish the larger size. On Saturday, that initial appearance was obscured by storm clouds in the Charleston area.

Still, crowds flocked to nearby parks to observe the moon and the higher-than-normal tides that came with it. (The moon's magnetic pull can raise tides when it's at its closest.)

So if you missed the "supermoon" on Saturday, don't fret. It's supposed to be really big on Sunday evening as well.