KARACHI: A “Harvest Supermoon,” one of the year’s largest and brightest celestial events, lit up the skies over Pakistan’s port city of Karachi on Monday night, drawing crowds eager to photograph the glowing lunar spectacle from beaches and waterfronts.

The phenomenon occurs when a full moon coincides with the moon’s closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit — a position known as perigee — making it appear noticeably larger and brighter.

According to Pakistan’s national space agency SUPARCO, the October supermoon was about 6.6 percent larger and 13 percent brighter than an average full moon, reaching its peak at 8:47 p.m. local time (0347 GMT).

Residents flocked to popular viewing spots such as Sea View and Clifton Beach, where the moon rose above the Arabian Sea and cast a golden reflection across the water.

“It’s not every day you get to see this view,” said Umair Aslam, a Karachi resident. “This opportunity only comes once a year, so we came to enjoy the season, see the supermoon, and take some selfies.”

“We had an amazing time,” he added.

Another local, Mohammad Qaisar, said the sight drew nature enthusiasts from across the city.

“For those who love nature and keep their eyes on the sky, the first supermoon of 2025 was a deeply charming event,” he said. “It brought great happiness to everyone who witnessed it over Karachi.”

SUPARCO said this was the first of three supermoons expected in 2025, with the next two forecast for November 5 and December 5.

The brightest supermoon of the year is expected in November, when the moon will come as close as 221,817 miles (357,067 kilometers) to Earth, offering another luminous spectacle for skywatchers worldwide.