BREAKING News: the 2018 Noctilucent Cloud season has begun, writes STUART ATKINSON. Surprisingly, on the first morning of June a small display of NLC was seen from the very north of Scotland, and over the next couple of mornings larger and brighter displays were seen as far south as Wales and even Norfolk. This welcome early start doesn't necessarily mean that we're in for a bumper year of NLC displays, but it does mean that on any clear night from now until the start of August you should keep an eye on the northern sky, just in case...

So, what are you looking for? Looking north at around midnight you are looking for faint, delicate wisps and tendrils of grey-blue cloud just above the horizon, that appear brighter and more defined than any other cloud around them. As the sky darkens the NLC will either fade away (hate it when they do that, it's so frustrating!) but if we're lucky they get brighter and more colourful, taking on an electric blue sheen. During the best displays the NLC can fill the northern sky, painting it with curls, swirls, wisps and whirls of beautiful lavender blue light, one of nature's most stunning sights - but one few people get to see because NLC displays are usually at their best between 1am and 4am, when most people are tucked up in bed.

You don't need a telescope or binoculars to see NLC, they're obvious to the naked eye. If you have a pair of binoculars handy though they will be a great help in showing you the subtle details and features within the clouds. Fingers crossed there's a big display soon - on a clear night.