For thousands of years, the moon has inspired people to look up, wonder and connect. From astronomy and photography to art, storytelling and the traditions of the Mid-Autumn Festival, our closest celestial neighbor has shaped the way we understand time, nature and one another. As Chinese communities around the world celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival on September 25 this year, we gather at Beijing’s Ancient Observatory with Qi Rui, deputy director of the Beijing Planetarium; Daniel Long Zhang, professor of Media Studies at Communication University of China; and astrophotographer Stephanie Ye Ziyi to explore why we keep looking up at the moon – and how the same moon can inspire different stories, memories and emotions.