THE Cumbrian 2017 NLC Season has started very late but it has started, writes STUART ATKINSON.

Yes, noctilucent clouds have been spotted from Cumbria in the past week. Admittedly only on one evening, and then they were only glimpsed briefly through small and rapidly-shrinking gaps in the cloud (while the rest of the country had clear skies, as usual!) but at least we've seen them.

So, from now until the start of August, please keep an eye on the northern sky from midnight, because a major, jaw-dropping display could happen any night. Most displays of these elusive celestial objects are less than impressive: we just see a few wisps and twirls of shining blue cloud hovering above the northern horizon, barely scraping the treetops. But a major display can paint the whole sky from west to east with a spectacular array of swirls, feathers and blooms of electric blue light, which slowly shift and change shape until the light of dawn eventually washes them out.

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Unfortunately we just can't predict in advance when such a wonderful sight will occur; we have to just go back to basics and keep looking at the sky just in case something is 'kicking off.' Observers post alerts on social media if they see something, which are useful, but they're no substitute for getting out there and having a look for yourself.

Good luck!

Stuart Atkinson