COMET Neowise has been captured in the skies by stargazers in Dorset.
Camera Club members and Echo readers have been sharing their striking images of the comet which is visible in the skies this month.
Picture by Mark Gaston
Mark Gaston was lucky enough to capture the picture above in the early hours of Saturday morning.
He said: "This image was taken around 3am this morning from my bedroom window in Lytchett Matravers with just a camera on a tripod with a short time exposure."
Picture by Ollie Newman
The comet will reach its closest point to Earth on July 23 and it is going to be visible from anywhere in the UK for the rest of the month.
Comet Neowise captured from Hengistbury Head. Picture by Jim Maclannan.
It is best viewed at about 2.30am in the north-east sky anywhere in the country.
Picture by Debbie Hilton
During its closest approach to Earth the comet will be about 64 million miles away - or about 400 times further away than the Moon.
Picture by Nick Lucas
It is currently showing just below and to the lower left of the bright star Capella in the constellation of Auriga - moving westwards.
Picture by Nick Mudge
By the end of the month the comet will move into Ursa Major and if it remains as bright as it is now then you should see its tail pointing into the Big Dipper.
Picture by James West
The comet was discovered by NASA’s Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or NEOWISE, on March 27.
Picture by Roy Hornyak
For those of you still awake at this hour, if you are under clear skies and look to the north, there is a good display of noctilucent clouds and you should also be able to catch a glimpse of Comet Neowise. pic.twitter.com/ThZ9TI6gKO
— Met Office (@metoffice) July 11, 2020
Picture by Scott Terrell
Nasa says: “Since then, the comet — called comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE and nicknamed comet NEOWISE — has been spotted by several NASA spacecraft, including Parker Solar Probe, NASA’s Solar and Terrestrial Relations Observatory, the ESA/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, and astronauts aboard the International Space Station.”
Picture by Paul Cobb
The space agency said the comet has become one of the few “naked-eye comets” of the 21st century after it “suddenly” became visible this week.
Picture by Mark Pelleymounter
What is a comet?
Comets are "cosmic snowballs of frozen gases, rock and dust that orbit the Sun", leftover from the formation of the solar system, according to NASA.
Picture by Peter Sanders
Their size can range from a few miles wide to tens of miles wide - but as they orbit closer to the sun, they heat up and spew gases and dust into a glowing head that can be larger than a planet.
Picture by Andy Hewitt
As these substances stream off the comet, they form a spectacular gas and dust cloud that tails behind them for millions of miles - and can often be seen from earth with the naked eye.
Comet Neowise over Dorset
Have you spotted Comet Neowise in the skies over Dorset? share your pictures
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