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Wow factor! Comet Neowise over Donnington Castle and Great Shefford and how to spot the comet in the night sky




Feel inspired?

Comet Neowise at Donnington Castle Photo: Heather Tonge
Comet Neowise at Donnington Castle Photo: Heather Tonge

HEATHER Tonge from Newbury, managed to take this great shot of Comet Neowise at Donnington Castle just before midnight on Friday.

Ms Tonge said: "It was so atmospheric and magical. Very dark, beautiful stars, the sound of owls in the trees and the sight was like something out of a children’s fairytale book, a comet and a castle!"

Just an hour or so later back at her home in Newbury, she took a photograph from her loft window. Ms Tonge said: "You can really see the blue tail!"

Meanwhile, Matt Denness went to St Mary's Church Great Shefford and Fawley War Memorial Cross to grab his shots of the comet.

If you feel inspired to see if you can get a photograph of Comet Neowise, time is running out - it will soon fade out of sight - but is still visible over the next few days.

You may catch it any time from 11pm onwards, but optimum time is about 3.30am - around 80 minutes before sunrise.

The best way to spot it is first to find The Plough – or The Big Dipper. Look eastwards on a clear night in an area with little light pollution and you should be able to see it.

Neowise will be below The Plough, about 10 degrees above the horizon.

The comet passes closest to Earth on 23 July, when it will be below and just to the right of The Plough. On 25 July it will be directly under it, before continuing to move west and slightly upwards.

And don't forget the International Space Station will be visible tonight from 10.27pm, from west south-west direction.

Send your Comet Neowise snaps to geraldine.gardner@newburynews.co.uk



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