Stargazers can expect the smallest full moon of the year during their Lantern Festival dinners. Xiu Lipeng, a member of the Chinese Astronomical Society, said that the moon will reach peak illumination at about 8:30 p.m. Beijing time on Saturday.

How rare is Lantern Festival + full moon?

The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which is February 24 this year. Two types of delicious sticky rice balls, tangyuan and yuanxiao, take center stage on the dining table during the festival.

However, a full moon could occur on the 15th, 16th or 17th day of each lunar month. For example, the February full moon of 2023, also the smallest of the year, occurred around 2 a.m. Beijing time on the 16th day of that lunar month, just about two hours after the festival.

Therefore, it is quite fortunate and cozy to be able to appreciate the full moon while enjoying the sticky rice balls this year. 

The last occasion of "Lantern Festival + full moon" was on February 19, 1962, and this event will occur only twice this century, with the next time being on February 28, 2086, according to He Yongjie, a member of the Geographical Society of China.

The smallest vs. the biggest

A full moon occurs when the moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the sun, as the moon's face is illuminated by the sun.

Traveling in an elliptical orbit around the Earth, the moon will be closer or farther from our planet. The closest point to Earth is called perigee, and the other is called apogee. 

When a full moon occurs at or close to perigee, this phenomenon is referred to as a supermoon, resulting in a larger and brighter appearance. Conversely, when a full moon occurs at or close to apogee, we'll have a micromoon.

According to NASA, the largest full moon can appear 14 percent larger in diameter than the smallest full moon, but for casual stargazers, the difference won't be notable.