I HOPE some of you managed to catch a glimpse of the northern lights last week, writes STUART ATKINSON. They were visible faintly from our part of the world on both Friday and Saturday night. There were none of the vivid greens and red seen on TV or in photos used in magazines and books - you really need a camera to record those - but we could see the faint grey-white hues of a typical UK auroral display.

This coming weekend we can't expect any aurora (but always look, just in case one sneaks in!) but on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights we will be able to see something else in the sky that's quite beautiful. It's traditionally known as 'The New Moon In The Old Moon's Arms,' but astronomers call it Earthshine. This is the name given to the way we can also see the dark part of the Moon's face when it is what people call a New Moon, i.e. a slim, bright crescent in the west after sunset. By the way, this isn't rare, we see it every month - weather permitting!

What we're actually seeing is sunlight reflecting off the Earth and lighting up the part of the Moon not in direct sunlight - hence Earthshine. This is visible to the naked eye, but a pair of binoculars will really enhance this lovely sight, and make the faraway Moon look very three dimensional too. And if you have a digital camera with a good zoom facility you will be able to photograph the Earthshine too.

Stuart Atkinson

Eddington Astronomical Society of Kendal