THE ever-reliable Cumbrian weather meant we missed seeing displays of the northern lights four - yes, four! - nights in a row last week, but the Sun remains pretty active and there's a possibility of further displays soon, so let's hope things improve.

In the meantime, cross your fingers for clear evening skies at the end of this week because the Moon is going to appear to approach and then pass two bright planets. Look to the south after dark and just above the horizon there you'll see Mars looking like an orange star, with Saturn, resembling a more golden-hued star, a little way to its upper right. On Thursday night (September 8) the Moon will be very close to Saturn, to its right, and the next night (Friday) will have moved eastwards to shine above Mars. By Saturday evening (September 10) the Moon will have moved even further eastwards, leaving the planetary pair behind. If you have a gap in the clouds on any of those nights you'll enjoy a really pretty view.

And if you can, get out into the Cumbrian countryside, find somewhere really dark and after 11pm you'll be able to see the Milky Way, looking like a broad but faint band of misty light cutting the sky in half.

Stuart Atkinson

Eddington Astronomical Society of Kendal