Big Moon Rises Over Mississippi (Photo)

Moon Dan Brown Mississippi 2013 night sky photo

Bruce Brown of Canton, Miss. took this image of a waxing gibbous moon on March 25, 2013 at approximately 5 p.m. (Image credit: Bruce Brown )

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 (Image credit: SPACE.com Store)

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.

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Nina Sen is a freelance writer and producer who covered night sky photography and astronomy for Space.com. She began writing and producing content for Space.com in 2011 with a focus on story and image production, as well as amazing space photos captured by NASA telescopes and other missions. Her work also includes coverage of amazing images by astrophotographers that showcase the night sky's beauty.