Natural phenomenon you have witnessed?

[Harvester]

Eventually managed to observe Mercury yesterday evening, to the right and below the Jupiter-Venus pairing, but needed binoculars to find it. Once it’s position was found, it was still very difficult to pick out with the naked eye in the twilight glow.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

On Monday night I briefly saw, very low in the north west, the first UK Noctilucent Cloud of the season - confirmed by an astronomy contact in Scotland who saw the same formation at the same time, obviously much more visible for him.

Last night produced a much more extensive, albeit short lived and not particularly bright, display to my north.

 

[Mr. SW]

Here in the Fens we had an excellent view of Venus and Jupiter in conjunction at about 2230 yesterday. Jupiter was still slightly to the left of Venus, and the gap was about 4 moon widths.

Loughborough. Venus at the top. Jupiter at the bottom. Put a real strain on the capabilities of the camera on my phone.

 

[Magdalia]

Another good view this evening, with Venus now slightly to the left of Jupiter and the gap a bit bigger than yesterday.

 

[Harvester]

Needed binoculars again this evening to pick out Mercury in the twilight glare. This current apparition is going to be difficult to follow with the naked eye, and it won’t climb much higher as greatest elongation is only five days away.

 

[nlogax]

Couple of shots from yesterday's stormchasing in Illinois. It was a crazy day.

 

[gabrielhj07]

Good photos

 

[brad465]

Needed binoculars again this evening to pick out Mercury in the twilight glare. This current apparition is going to be difficult to follow with the naked eye, and it won’t climb much higher as greatest elongation is only five days away.

While it's possible to see Mercury in the UK at the right times of the year, it's very elliptical orbit and the timing of its greatest elongations make it difficult to see in the Northern Hemisphere. The Southern Hemisphere is usually better, so if you'd be better placed to see it if you timed a holiday to Australia or New Zealand accordingly (or emigrated of course). The best times to see it are in the spring in the evening sky and the autumn in the morning sky; when Mercury and Venus are in the evening sky in autumn and the morning sky in spring, they are very difficult to spot.

 

[Harvester]

Nice pairing of Venus and the thin crescent Moon in the evening twilight. The latter is about half a degree below Venus.

 

[Bald Rick]

Nice pairing of Venus and the thin crescent Moon in the evening twilight. The latter is about half a degree below Venus.

Its fabulous!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

...and very easy to see after just half an hour, the motion of the moon relative to Venus.

 

[Mr. SW]

Armchair Astronomy. Jupiter is very faint in the bottom right corner somewhere.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Armchair Astronomy. Jupiter is very faint in the bottom right corner somewhere.

I see it, just above the cloud next to the tree.

 

[brad465]

In the Americas there was a rare occultation, where the moon passed infront of Venus.

 

[Harvester]

It happened in daylight, so binoculars would have been required to pick out Venus and probably the crescent Moon too!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

It happened in daylight, so binoculars would have been required to pick out Venus and probably the crescent Moon too!

Not necessarily; at the moment, 20.55, Venus is quite easily visible* - and the sun is still well above the horizon...

*Assuming a clear sky, of course!

 

[Howardh]

I'd love to be on Unst right now overnight - whilst not quite the midnight sun, this was the scene at around 12.50am this morning!!

 

[Harvester]

The sun is sinking towards the latest sunset of the year here in Notts, which will be in one hours time at 21:34.

 

[brad465]

A reminder that in 10 days' time a solar eclipse will be visible across the UK, with 90-95% coverage. Totality is visible over part of Iceland, Spain and at sunset over the Balearics (that will be quite the party atmosphere on Ibiza).

Currently the long-range weather forecast is good, however the laws of the universe could well decide this is the occasion to bring the widespread drought to an end.

 

[4COR]

A reminder that in 10 days' time a solar eclipse will be visible across the UK, with 90-95% coverage. Totality is visible over part of Iceland, Spain and at sunset over the Balearics (that will be quite the party atmosphere on Ibiza).

Currently the long-range weather forecast is good, however the laws of the universe could well decide this is the occasion to bring the widespread drought to an end.

Currently in Northern Spain for this very reason!

 

[Trackman]

A reminder that in 10 days' time a solar eclipse will be visible across the UK, with 90-95% coverage. Totality is visible over part of Iceland, Spain and at sunset over the Balearics (that will be quite the party atmosphere on Ibiza).

Currently the long-range weather forecast is good, however the laws of the universe could well decide this is the occasion to bring the widespread drought to an end.

I think I've read it's going to be low down in the west, so you'll need a line vision for a glimpse.

 

[brad465]

Currently in Northern Spain for this very reason!

If you don't mind saying, how expensive was this? I'm contemplating whether to try this for the August 2027 solar eclipse traversing the Med. I might try and book somewhere outside the path of totality, but can still easily travel into it, such as Southern Spain (Gibraltar will get booked up easily I reckon, while Luxor in Egypt is the peak duration so likewise high demand).

 

[4COR]

If you don't mind saying, how expensive was this? I'm contemplating whether to try this for the August 2027 solar eclipse traversing the Med. I might try and book somewhere outside the path of totality, but can still easily travel into it, such as Southern Spain (Gibraltar will get booked up easily I reckon, while Luxor in Egypt is the peak duration so likewise high demand).

We combined it with a family holiday, and brought the caravan on the Plymouth-Santander ferry, so probably the cost is way more than need be! Cadiz next year is a potential - you could easily fly to Seville, drive in and out.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Aug 2026 ==

I think I've read it's going to be low down in the west, so you'll need a line vision for a glimpse.

I have the same issue - at 9 degrees, it's a bit of a contention between cloud, visibility, and the potential to need to drive inland, but still leave it visible and not behind a mountain!

 

[Bald Rick]

If you don't mind saying, how expensive was this? I'm contemplating whether to try this for the August 2027 solar eclipse traversing the Med. I might try and book somewhere outside the path of totality, but can still easily travel into it, such as Southern Spain (Gibraltar will get booked up easily I reckon, while Luxor in Egypt is the peak duration so likewise high demand).

You can still do a week in Ibiza (say) for two people next week for under £1500 total.

 

[Howardh]

You can still do a week in Ibiza (say) for two people next week for under £1500 total.

The angle of the sun will be even lower than we see in the UK, 3 degrees I think. Virtually sunset, so it could be disappointing even on a cloudless day if the atmosphere is dusty, but that brings glorious sunsets, it will be fascinating to see the effect at sunset.

Of course you need to be on the west side of Ibiza, my preferred location would be overlooking the lagoon or sea at La Sabina, Formentera.

Next year should be a better show from Gibraltar. The eclipse is late AM I think!

 

[brad465]

The angle of the sun will be even lower than we see in the UK, 3 degrees I think. Virtually sunset, so it could be disappointing even on a cloudless day if the atmosphere is dusty, but that brings glorious sunsets, it will be fascinating to see the effect at sunset.

Of course you need to be on the west side of Ibiza, my preferred location would be overlooking the lagoon or sea at La Sabina, Formentera.

Next year should be a better show from Gibraltar. The eclipse is late AM I think!

I would certainly like to go to Gibraltar to see it, having not been before, but given how small it is I expect it to be either sold out fast, and/or very expensive, which is why I'm thinking southern Spain. It's also visible from just outside Algiers and Sfax in Tunisia, plus Luxor in Egypt plays host to the longest duration of totality. It will also interestingly be visible from Mecca.

 

[davews]

The problem is that for those of us who have seen a good totality (1999 in Salzburg) anything less than totality is boring... But getting a bit old now to be planning trips to exotic places.

 

[Harvester]

The problem is that for those of us who have seen a good totality (1999 in Salzburg) anything less than totality is boring... But getting a bit old now to be planning trips to exotic places.

You were lucky to see good totality in August 1999. I stepped off the train at Plymouth in clear sky at around 07:00 on the morning of the eclipse, but by mid-morning heavy cloud had moved in, not only at Plymouth but over most of Devon and Cornwall. I too am a bit too long in the tooth to eclipse chase now, so shall never see totality!

 

[davews]

It was patchy cloud during the partial stages then miraculously cleared just in time for a perfect totality, even the tweating birds enjoyed it. Half an hour later there was a huge rainstorm. I count myself lucky indeed. Best my Olympus OM20 could manage but it was a great atmosphere at Salzburg castle.

 

[4COR]

Very similar experience from a school friend's garden in southern Munich - 20min gap in cloud/rain just at the perfect time! Canon FT (with Ektachrome! Proper old school transparencies!) with 2x converter on a Televue Pronto (960mm FL I think)