Super moon shines for stargazers

ROUGH CUT - NO REPORTER NARRATION

Australian stargazers have enjoyed clear views of a "super Moon" thanks to good weather.

The lunar "perigee", the scientific term for the phenomenon, which coincided with a full Moon, lit up the sky in a once-a-year cosmic show.

The Moon appeared bigger and brighter than usual as it reached its closest orbit to Earth.

U.S. space agency NASA said in a statement that the "super Moon" was as much as 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than other full Moons of 2012.

It was just 356,955 kilometres (221,801miles) away, which is 24,600 kilometres (15,286 miles) closer than average.

The best vantage points were snapped up by keen amateur astronomers and photographers.

A perigee full Moon can bring tides that are higher than normal but only by an inch or so. The effect can be amplified by local geography, but only by about six inches (15 centimetres).

The last perigee Moon was on March 19, 2011, when it was about 402 kilometres (250 miles) closer than the one viewed at the weekend.