Big Moon Rises Over Mississippi (Photo)

Bruce Brown of Canton, Miss. took this image of a waxing gibbous moon on March 25, 2013 at approximately 5 p.m. CREDIT: Bruce Brown View full size image

A deep indigo lingers in the background of this jaw-dropping photo of the moon.

Bruce Brown of Canton, Miss., took this image of March 25 at roughly 5 p.m. local time when a bit of light remained in the sky.

The March 25 moon was a waxing gibbous moon. The time between a first quarter moon and a full moon is called the waxing gibbous period because the illuminated region of the orb increases each day. [Phases of the Moon Explained (Infographic)]

Moon Globe
CREDIT: SPACE.com Store

View full size image

A full moon occurred two days after this image was taken, on March 27. After a full moon, the orb goes through a waning gibbous phase until it reaches the last quarter or no moon.

Editor's note: If you have an amazing night sky photo you'd like to share for a possible story or image gallery, please contact managing editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com.

Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+.