July has delivered a genuinely spectacular celestial visitor: Comet C/2020 F3, better known as NEOWISE. It has become one of the brightest comets in the northern hemisphere since Hale-Bopp in the late nineties.



Seeing the influx of stunning wide-field astrophotography from around the world has been an absolute joy. People are capturing its distinct, sweeping dust tail and fainter blue ion tail set against city skylines and dark rural horizons alike. It is a brilliant reminder of the unpredictable, beautiful nature of our solar system. It won't return to our inner solar system for nearly 6,800 years, so this is truly a once-in-a-civilisation event.