AKIPRESS.COM - People around the world are watching the skies to observe a rare celestial event, as a lunar eclipse coincides with a so-called "supermoon".

A supermoon occurs when the Moon is in the closest part of its orbit to Earth, meaning it appears larger in the sky, reports BBC.

The eclipse - which made the Moon appear red - should be visible in North America, South America, West Africa and Western Europe.

This phenomenon last time was observed in 1982 and is not expected until 2033.

Skywatchers in the western half of North America, the rest of Europe and Africa, the Middle East and South Asia were expected to see a partial eclipse.