CLOUDS have shrounded the 'supermoon' for days but Trevor Porter snapped it this morning over the rooftops of Trowbridge early this morning.

Moongazers will know that it has been closer to Earth than since 1948, being at it's biggest and brightest on Monday morning.

Set your calendar for a repeat performance in 2034...

Oon Monday the gap between the Earth and the moon closed to its shortest point, known as the perigee - a distance of 221,525 miles. 

The reason the distance varies is the moon's slightly elliptical orbit. On average, it is 238,900 miles from the Earth, but at the perigee it is about 5% closer. At its furthest orbital point from the Earth, the apogee, it is 5% more distant.

Perigee and apogee distances vary from month to month due to factors, such as whether the long axis of the lunar orbit is pointed towards the sun.

Monday's was billed as the biggest and best in a series of three supermoons. The first was on October 16 and the third is due on December 14.

Affelia Wibisono, an astronomer who presents planetarium shows at the Royal Observatory, said the phenomenon could help kindle an interest in astronomy.

"It really has sparked an interest," she said.