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Moon watching tips for Mid-Autumn Festival 2011
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     The Mid-Autumn Festival this year falls on September 12 (Monday). To facilitate moon-watching by the public, the times of moonrise, transit and moonset during the Mid-Autumn Festival period are given below. During transit, the moon passes the local meridian in the south and the elevation is the highest of the night.

September 11 (Sunday)

Moonrise                     at 5.39pm
Transit                      at 11.42pm
(elevation 64 degrees)  
Moonset                      at 5.49am (next morning)

September 12 (Monday) (Mid-Autumn Festival)

Full Moon                    at 5.27pm
(The moon is below the horizon
of Hong Kong at this moment)
Moonrise                     at 6.13pm
Transit                      at 0.24am (next morning)
(elevation 69 degrees)
Moonset                      at 6.39am (next morning)

September 13 (Tuesday) (The day following Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival)

Moonrise                     at 6.46pm
Transit                      at 1.05am (next morning)
(elevation 74 degrees)
Moonset                      at 7.28am (next morning)

     Scientific Officer of the Hong Kong Observatory, Mr Woo Wang-chun, said, "If weather permits, a bright and clear moon can be observed from open space in all districts during the period. Although the moonrise occurs after the full moon (i.e. when the moon and the sun are located on opposite sides of the Earth, see the attached diagram), the brightness of the moon will not diminish after the moonrise and moon-watching will not be affected."

     For information about the weather during the Mid-Autumn Festival period, please refer to the "7-day Weather Forecast" issued by the Observatory at www.weather.gov.hk/wxinfo/currwx/fnd.htm.

Ends/Monday, August 29, 2011
Issued at HKT 17:29

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