Comet Neowise & Perseids

It’s your last chance to catch Comet Neowise before it goes back into the outer solar system and doesn’t reappear until 6,800 years!
The comet is currently about as bright as Polaris, the North Star, and can be observed in dark skies without the aid of a telescope or binoculars. Look East. The comet will appear underneath the Plough constellation, and just above the horizon. By the weekend, the comet will have moved so that it is directly underneath the Plough, as it moves further westwards and slightly higher on our horizon every night.

The beautiful photograph shows Comet Neowise behind St. John the Baptist Church in Broadwindsor. Photo credit: Jamie Dawson.

In our dark sky, there’s the chance you’ll see shooting stars too. These are the Perseids and these will be increasing each night until their peak on 11th/12th/13th August.  The Perseids tend to be very bright, so you can still expect a good percentage to overcome the moonlit glare.
In ancient Greek star lore, Perseus is the son of the god Zeus and the mortal Danaë. It is said that the Perseid shower commemorates the time when Zeus visited Danaë, the mother of Perseus, in a shower of gold.

#Broadwindsor #Dorset #LookUp #ShootingStars #CometNeowise #Perseids #DarkSkies #StaySafe