The only supermoon of 2017, as seen worldwide

NASA captured this photo of the first and only supermoon of 2017 as it rises behind Washington, DC on Dec. 3. A supermoon occurs when the moon's orbit is at its closest to Earth at the same time it is full. If you missed seeing it in person, you won't have to wait another year for your next chance to glimpse it. Two more will occur on Jan. 1 and Jan. 31, 2018. Meanwhile, enjoy the supermoon in all its majesty with our gallery of photos from around the world.

An aircraft taking off from Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, DC is seen passing in front of the supermoon as it rises in another NASA photo.

The supermoon took an especially ominous red hue over Washington, DC in this NASA photo.

Toronto-based photographer Dominic Bugatto captured this shot of the supermoon competing with the more mundane artificial light of a convenience store.

The supermoon caught on the rise above the ridges of the Algarve Serra in Portugal by photographer Craig Rogers.

The supermoon was the only thing that could make an evening on the Spanish isle of Mallorca more elegant in this photo by Fernando Vega.

There was an addition to the neighborhood in this photo of the massive-looking moon taken by Charlotte-based Mark Lowe.

Seattle is known for cloudy skies, but in the case of the supermoon, some wispy ones only added to the effect. Thank Martin Criminale for the photo.

This supermoon shot from Poland comes via "nightscapes" specialist Piotr Potepa.

David Yu grabbed a particularly huge-looking supermoon behind the San Francisco skyline in this photo take from Alameda island across the bay.

The supermoon shines down on California's Folsom Lake in this photo by Carrie McGann.

A bucolic setting for the supermoon rising in this photo from Pennsylvania by Mike Vosburg.

This photo from UK photographer Lukias Saikul provides a closer look at the moon on its closest approach of the year.

The supermoon is so bright in this photo of it rising over the UK by Simon Wright that you could easily mistake it for a sunset.

Portland, Oregon photographer Stuart Zahn captured this image of a pine tree attempting to high five the supermoon.