The last full moon of the millennium was also the biggest and brightest since 1930. Although cloudy skies obscured it from the view of most UK-based stargazers, it appeared about 14% bigger and 20% brighter above many sites across the world.

The full moon rises over the ancient ruins of the Temple of Saturn and the Temple of Vespasian, at the Roman Forum in Italian capital Rome.

The golden domes of the Church of St Mary Magdalene in Jerusalem, Israel, shine under the unusually intense light.

Moonlight bathes the Church of Nativity and decorated Manger Square in Bethlehem.

For once the moon shines as brightly as the symbol of the Bombay Police, a hand surrounded by a star, atop the police headquarters in Bombay, India.

The last full moon to be observed in the 1990s shines over the Ferris Wheel at Tokyo's Odaiba waterfront area in Japan.

The full moon rises over "la Madonnina", the highest golden statue on top of the Milan Cathedral in Italy.

Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay, and behind it the Berkeley Hills in California, US, were lit by the last full moon of the millennium.