The UK is in for a real treat this month as Comet NEOWISE will be visible across night skies from next week and it’s one of the best chances to see a comet with the naked-eye this century.
Comet NEOWISE – officially called C/2020 F3 – is expected to have its closest Earth flyby on 23rd July.
When it does, it’ll pass Earth at a distance of 103 million km, which is about 400 times further away than the moon, and you won’t even need a telescope to be able to see it.
Giving an insight into the presence of Comet NEOWISE and what astronomy fans across the UK can expect, NASA said: “A comet has suddenly become visible to the unaided eye.”
“Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) was discovered in late March and brightened as it reached its closest approach to the Sun, inside the orbit of Mercury, late last week. The interplanetary iceberg survived solar heating, so far, and is now becoming closer to the Earth as it starts its long trek back to the outer Solar System.”
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As Comet NEOWISE became one of the only comets of the 21st Century to be visible with the naked-eye, word understandably spread quickly and the comet has already been photographed behind many famous sites and cities around the globe.
I have a strong dislike of early mornings—but so worth it today because wow is that comet beautiful! C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) I was at Sunset Crater by 4AM. It was an easy naked-eye object, but really rewarding through binoculars. Last pic is closest to naked eye scale.#neowisepic.twitter.com/1I0Cx2fZQJ
Upon initial sighting back in March, NEOWISE was too dim for anyone to spot easily and astronomers feared that it could fall victim to the same destruction that led to disappointment for Comet Atlas and Comet Swan earlier this year, which both disintegrated as they passed by the Sun, but NEOWISE has already survived this encounter late last week and is now back on its way to the far reaches of the solar system, swinging past Earth as it goes.
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Astronauts at the International Space Station (ISS) have even caught a rare glimpse of it on camera last week.
— Intl. Space Station (@Space_Station) July 7, 2020
Blink or you might miss it. ☄️
Comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE made its once-in-our-lifetimes close approach to the Sun on July 3, 2020, and will cross outside Earth's orbit on its way back to the outer parts of the solar system by mid-August: https://t.co/WZHOixh69xpic.twitter.com/JYDRwTpfxo
If you’re hoping to catch Comet NEOWISE for yourself this month, a top tip and your best bet for a sighting is to look out for the more well-known stars and constellations situated around it.
Comet NEOWISE is currently moving slowly westwards through the constellation of Auriga low in the sky and you can find it by looking just to the lower left of the bright star Capella. By mid-July, it will have moved through to the constellation of Lynx and then onwards into Ursa Major – the Great Bear – on 17th July.
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Another tip if you’re having trouble spotting it is to keep an eye out for the tail streaking out behind it too.
By the third week in July, Comet NEOWISE will be visible throughout the night and is expected to have it’s closest flyby on 23rd July, so get ready – you won’t want to miss this.
For more information on all things Comet NEOWISE, visit the NASA website here.
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New survey reveals one in six Brits would rather have a curry than a Christmas dinner
Emily Sergeant
One in six Brits would apparently rather have a curry on Christmas Day in place of a traditional roast dinner, a new survey has revealed.
With December just a few days away now, it won’t be long before we all sit down to tuck into what is always one of the biggest and heartiest meals of the whole year – but, if the results of a new survey is anything to go by, for a good chunk of Brits, this year’s Christmas feast won’t be the typical roast turkey that tradition’s always called for.
Instead, one in six would rather stray off the beaten track and opt for an Indian instead.
After a shocking survey by Next revealed last year that more than 12 million Brits think Yorkshire puddings belong with your Christmas dinner, around 1,000 UK adults have been polled by instatprint this time around to discover what’s making it on the festive feasting plate in just a few weeks time.
And, as to be expected, some weird and wonderful food combinations feature on the list, with over a third of Brits apparently planning on having sausages instead of the usual Christmas meats, and chips and beans also seem to be on the menu for the fussier eaters among us too.
One in six Brits would apparently rather have a curry than a Christmas dinner / Credit: Supplied
Chicken nuggets, eggs, caviar, goat’s cheese, haggis, and chimichurri were some of the other rogue choices given by some of the survey respondents.
Then, when it comes to the accompanying sides to the main event, 11% even revealed they plan on tucking into some macaroni cheese with their Christmas dinner this year, with another 11% sharing that mushy peas are a must on their plate too.
17% of Brits will be enjoying mustard, 13% will be squirting ketchup on their roast, and 7% will apparently be enjoying a dollop of mayonnaise too.
It’s all according to a new survey to discover Christmas feasting preferences / Credit: Supplied
But while some clearly like to freestyle their Christmas dinner and pop whatever they fancy on the plate, others are apparently ditching the norm all together, as the survey has revealed that only half of Brits are set on having their traditional Christmas dinner this year.
As mentioned, almost one in six would much rather tuck into an Indian curry, but not only that, 6% of us would rather have a Chinese, 5% would enjoy Mexican, and another 5% would opt for tapas if it was an option too.
Alejandro Garnacho gives the same boots he scored his overhead kick with to a young Man United fan
Danny Jones
As if Manchester United supporters weren’t already ridiculously enamoured with their exciting young starlet, Alejandro Garnacho made an incredible gesture to a young fan after gifting him a pair of the very same boots he scored his incredible overhead kick with this past weekend.
In case you somehow missed it on Sunday, Garnacho scored one of the great Premier League, perhaps one of the best we’ve ever seen full stop, after burying an unbelievably beautiful bicycle kick into the far corner during Man United’s 3-0 win over Everton.
The 19-year-old is already a firm favourite amongst United fans and is tipped to do big things in his career after impressing in the first couple of years of his senior career, but interactions with wide-eyed little fans like this prove exactly why he has become so loved so quickly.
Surprising the die-hard young fans, the Standley boys — simply known as Harry and George to thousands of followers across multiple social media channels run by their parents — Garnacho doesn’t just stop to say hello to the loyal little Reds, he gives George a pair of the exact Nike Mercurial boots he wore when he screamed home that unforgettable finish. As you can expect, it blows his tiny mind.
After telling the Argentine winger that his overhead kick was “the best goal [he’d] ever seen“, Garnacho then hands his smiley superfan an orange Nike box containing the boots through the window, to which he immediately replies that he “asked for these” for Christmas this year.
We were very much the same at your age, George — Christmas and birthdays were all about getting all the gear to convince our mates we were the next Rooney.
Revealing not only that they were the very same boots he was wearing when he leapt like a salmon for that now iconic overhead kick but that he had already signed his autograph on them, along with a personal message on the box it didn’t take long for the seven-year-old to start crying tears of joy at his out of the blue birthday present.
As mum continues to capture his reaction, George simply says, “I’m so happy”, before telling his footballing hero how much he loves him and calling him “the best in the world”. It is by no means the first time we’ve stumbled across the two very cute little kids.
This is also isn’t George and Garnacho’s first meeting either; far from it, as both he and his older brother Harry regularly wait outside Carrington and Old Trafford to meet their Man United idols — with the exciting youngster having been at the top of the list since he burst onto the scene.
Whilst the pair are also self-proclaimed Lisandro Martinez and Jadon Sancho superfans, over the past season or so in particular, Garnacho and George have developed a real bond and he has had the opportunity to meet the no.17 on a number of occasions.
We will never, EVER get tired of seeing little kids meeting their heroes — fair play to the young man for taking the time to make the little lad a day he’ll never forget. Happy birthday, George!
You can watch the highlights from the Red Devils’ away win against Everton down below. Any excuse to watch back that goal, to be honest.
Emily Sergeant -
9th July 2020 
