Observatory releases moon-watching tips for Mid-Autumn Festival 2023

The Mid-Autumn Festival this year falls on Friday (Sept. 29) and the full moon will occur near sunset that day. If weather permits, a bright and round moon will be observable at night during the Mid-Autumn Festival period.

To facilitate moon watching by the public, the times of moonrise, transit, moonset and full moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival period are listed in the table. At transit, the moon passes the local meridian, reaching its highest elevation for the night due south.

September 28 (Thursday): The eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival

Moonrise: 5:38 pm; Transit (elevation 63 degrees): 11:39 pm; Moonset: 5:46 am (next morning).

September 29 (Friday): Mid-Autumn Festival

Moonrise: 6:16 pm; Transit (elevation 70 degrees): 0:30 am (next morning); Moonset: 6:49 am (next morning).

September 30 (Saturday): The day following the Mid-Autumn Festival

Moonrise: 6:54 pm; Transit (elevation 77 degrees): 1:20 am (next morning); Moonset time: 7:52 am (next morning).

Please refer to the 9-day Weather Forecast issued by the Hong Kong Observatory and the Weather Information for Astronomical Observation webpage for the latest weather conditions and the astronomical observation conditions during the Mid-Autumn Festival period to plan moon-watching activities.