These past few days, the news has been overrun with images of bright orange spheres labeled 'Blood Moon'. This is because Sunday, September 27, 2015 marked the first supermoon lunar eclipse since 1982. Whoa! .... What does that mean?

A lunar eclipse is when the sun, Earth and moon are directly aligned, so that the moon falls into shadow of the Earth. Lunar eclipses occur anywhere from zero to three times in a given year, or about once every 2.3 years. January 31, 2018 will be the next lunar eclipse visible from the United States, according to astronomists.

A supermoon is when a full moon is at its closest point in orbit to the surface of the Earth, which makes it appear 14 percent larger and 33 percent brighter than other full moons. This occurs about four to six times a year.

Sunday's moon was a synergy of the two: a supermoon lunar eclipse. For this to happen, the moon must align perfectly with the sun and the Earth at a specific point in its orbit. These circumstances make supermoon lunar eclipses rare; we haven't seen one in 33 years, and won't for another 18.

These eclipses are often called 'blood moons' because of the blood orange color they appear to adopt. Although in the shadow of the Earth and hidden from the sun, there is enough light that scatters of the surface of the Earth to paint the moon a deep coppery red - blood-like.

Around the world, Sunday night saw photographers capturing the unique beauty of the blood moon:

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Glastonbury, England

Kansas, USA

Cairo, Egypt

Brighton, England

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

London, England

To many, the moon is a source of spiritual and/or religious significance. Astrologists (not to be confused with astronomists) believe it has an important impact on one's mood and behavior. Scientists note the effect it has on oceanic tides. To others, it may just be a sort of natural nightlight. Regardless, the moon is a pretty grand feature in our night sky, and Sunday night it definitely gave us something to look at. If you missed it, mark your calendars for 2033 - the next blood moon.