Well, that's it: the 2016 noctilucent clouds season is effectively over. There's a small chance a late display might creep in before the end of the week but that's very unlikely to be honest. The 2016 season was very disappointing, with just two naked eye NLC displays visible from Cumbria. We'll just have to hope for better next year...as we did last year.

Any clear night from now until the end of August it's worth keeping an eye on the sky for shooting stars, because there are always a lot more zipping about at this time of year than usual. That's because a meteor shower called the Perseids reaches its peak on August 12 every year and rates are higher than normal for a week or so either side of the peak too. This year's display could be very impressive - but more details about that next issue. For now, just keep a look out for shooting stars on any clear night. The later, and the longer you look, the better.

The International Space Station is still visible in the evenings. Look for it on the following dates at the following times August 4: 22.05 and 23.59; August 5: 21.12 and 22.47; August 6: 21.55; August 7: 22.37; August 8: 21.46; August 9: 22.28; August 10: 21.36.

Stuart Atkinson

Eddington Astronomical Society of Kendal