Lantern Festival lunar eclipse may be clouded by showers, Observatory says

A full lunar eclipse will grace Hong Kong’s skies Wednesday evening on the Lantern Festival, but whether residents can enjoy the celestial spectacle will depend largely on cloud cover and rainfall, the Hong Kong Observatory said.

If weather conditions permit, members of the public will be able to observe the lunar eclipse with the naked eye. Locations facing east without obstructions will offer the best vantage points for the event.

However, unsettled weather could dampen the experience. The Observatory said showers associated with an upper-air disturbance are currently affecting western Guangdong and are gradually moving east toward the Pearl River Estuary. At the same time, a northeast monsoon is influencing the region.

Temperatures in Hong Kong are forecast to fall progressively to a low of about 16 degrees Celsius. Intermittent showers are expected today, with isolated thunderstorms in some areas. The Observatory said visibility of the eclipse will depend on the development of cloud cover and rainfall.

The moon will rise at 6.22pm, by which time part of it will already have entered the Earth’s umbra. The full eclipse will begin at 7.04pm, when the moon is completely immersed in the Earth’s shadow.

The total eclipse phase will last 59 minutes. During this time, the moon will not disappear entirely but will appear with a dim reddish hue — commonly known as a “blood moon.” The entire eclipse will conclude at 10.25pm.

Residents hoping to mark the Lantern Festival with a glimpse of the rare event may need to keep an eye on both the sky and the weather radar.