Aug 11, 2014 11:04 AM EDT By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

Over the past weekend, sky watchers were treated to both the Supermoon and the Perseid Meteor Shower, though viewers cannot exactly enjoy both at the same time.

According to USA Today, people on Earth saw the Supermoon at its peak Sunday because the full moon lined up with the period in which it was closest. As a result, the moon looked to be 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than normal.

At its farthest, the moon is 240,000 miles away, though the Supermoon will be 190,000 miles away, a 20 percent difference.

EarthSky.com reported the term "Supermoon" was meant to act as a shorthand word for "perigee full moon," which was a more technical term used by astronomers. Perigee means "near Earth." Richard Nolle coined "Supermoon" more than 30 years ago, but the term has only taken off in the scientific community over the past few years.

Click HERE for a series of photos of the Supermoon from EarthSky.com, HERE for photos taken from the International Space Station and HERE for NBC News' collection.

Good news for anyone looking to take in the Perseid Meteor Shower is that the Supermoon's peak is now behind us. Moonlight is the bane of a meteor shower, so the extra-bright, extra-big moon did not help.

EarthSky.com reported this year's Perseid shower will continue to peak Monday through Wednesday and is looking to be particularly strong.

"The moon is getting very large and bright in the sky as it approaches this weekend's Supermoon. The window for early morning dark skies - needed to see the most meteors in the annual Perseid shower - is closing," the website reported. "Luckily, the Perseids are known to produce more fireballs than any other annual shower, and a fireball in the light of a bright Supermoon will be a beautiful sight."

See Now: Covert Team Inside Newsweek Revealed as Key Players in False Human Trafficking Lawsuit