Full Moon and Blue Moon

This full moon photo was taken at the Peak Tower not long after photographing the warm orange glow of a sunset near the Peak Cafe. With neon-lit eastern Hong Kong Island in the foreground, it was an enriched visual experience.

Of course, the witnessing of a perfect full moon at the Peak depends mainly on weather conditions. But it is possible to know the timing of a full moon by visiting the Hong Kong Observatory Web Site at http://www.info.gov.hk/hko/ After selecting English, go to 'Seismology, Time & Astronomy', and down the page you will find Times of Rise and Set for Sun and Moon. You can go two days before or after the full moon as it is still 93-97% illuminated and most people will not notice the difference.

If you are going on holiday to a destination with ideal moonrise settings, then the US Naval Observatory Web Site at http://riemann.usno.navy.mil/AA/ is another ready source of information. Click Data Services and select Form B. Choose the date of your stay and then key in the longitude, latitude and time zone of the place. The site will calculate the time of the moonrise for you.