I hope some of you managed to catch a glimpse of the northern lights last Friday night/Saturday morning? (September 12/13). The Full Moon and mist didn't help, but we did see some reds and greens low in the north between 10pm and midnight. The Sun is very active a the moment so keep an eye on the northern sky after dark on any clear night. You might get lucky...

Meanwhile, elusive little Mercury is visible after sunset again. It is very low though, so you'll need a low and uncluttered south west horizon to pick it out in the twilight glow. Look for a tiny, golden ‘star’ scraping the treetops. Binoculars will help you find it if your naked eye can't spot it.

Before dawn on Friday morning, look for a really lovely sight in the east - a slender, silvery crescent Moon shining to the upper right of Jupiter. The next morning the two will be almost side by side, and on Sunday morning the almost-vanished Moon will be beneath Jupiter.

Stuart Atkinson, Eddington Astronomical Society of Kendal