SINCE the last issue of The Westmorland Gazette hit the streets two displays of ‘noctilucent clouds’ have lit up the skies above Kendal and the South Lakes. The first of those, overnight on July 11/12, was probably the best NLC display I've ever seen. It began at midnight and was still going strong at 4am when dawn washed it from the sky. At its height the display covered the northern sky with beautiful billows, waves and streamers of electric blue light. I took hundreds of pictures, some of which you can see on my blog.

If you missed the displays don't worry, there should be a few more before the end of July. I'd definitely keep an eye on the sky around midnight on the 17th and 18th; NLC seem to have a five-day cycle of activity, so if it's clear on either of those nights be sure to look for these strangely beautiful glowing clouds low in the north. No promises, but if you don't look you'll definitely see nothing...

Stuart Atkinson, Eddington Astronomical Society of Kendal