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.
— International 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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Drinks prices revealed as Manchester Airport’s first-ever Wetherspoons pub opens inside T2
Emily Sergeant
It’s official… Manchester Airport’s first-ever JD Wetherspoon pub has officially opened its doors inside Terminal 2.
The 300-seater pub – which welcomed its first customers earlier this week – is named The Belle Vue after Manchester’s historic showground.
Throughout the pub, you’ll spot design features that nod to the city’s sporting heritage – including vintage event posters and memorabilia, a ‘locker wall’ hosting trophies and other sporting exhibits, and a cricket-themed design in the carpets and bar panels.
Creating around 150 jobs in the process, The Belle Vue is the final planned new eatery to open in the airport’s redeveloped Terminal 2, marking one of the final steps in the super-terminal’s decade-long, £1.5bn transformation.
Manchester Airport’s first-ever Wetherspoons pub has opened inside Terminal 2 / Credit: Supplied
According to the MEN, pints are priced from £6.20 for Carling and Coors lager, £6.45 for Budweiser, £6.60 for Guinness, and £6.70 for Poretti and 1664 Biere.
Prosecco is £9.20 for 175ml glass and £37.10 for the full bottle, while spirts and mixers are £6.80 for singles and £10.20 for doubles.
There’s also the classic Wetherspoons tea and coffee machines, where you can refill as many times as you like for just £3.60.
“It’s a proud moment to see the final new retail unit opening in our new-look Terminal 2,” commented Richard Jackson, who is the Retail Director at Manchester Airport.
“To be rounding off this 10-year programme by adding such an iconic name as Wetherspoon to the terminal is particularly special and we know that it will prove extremely popular with passengers. We think they’ll love the nods to Manchester’s heritage in the décor and design – and of course the name.”
The Belle Vue will be open from the first flight to the final flight each day, and food will be served from opening until 10pm.
Featured Image – Supplied
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Iconic Manc movie 24 Hour Party People is set to return to cinemas for its anniversary
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s most iconic movies is set to return to the big screen next month.
Remastered in 4K and returning to UK cinemas to mark 24 years since its original release, Michael Winterbottom’s 2002 biographical comedy drama film, 24 Hour Party People, tells the story of Manchester‘s popular music community from 1976 to 1992 – specifically about Factory Records‘ founder Tony Wilson.
The film begins with the punk rock era of the late 1970s, before moving through the 1980s into the rave and DJ culture, and of course, the ‘Madchester‘ scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The narrative largely follows the career of Tony Wilson, played by Middleton-born actor Steve Coogan, while also covering the careers of the major Factory Records artists – especially Joy Division and New Order, as well as A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, and Happy Mondays.
If you haven’t seen 24 Hour Party People before, it’s a dramatisation based on a combination of real events, rumours, and urban legends, as the film is sure to make clear.
Coogan is joined by a cast by a mixture of big names and, at the time, rising stars like Paddy Considine, Shirley Henderson, Lennie James, John Simm, Ralf Little, Andy Serkis, Sean Harris, John Thomson, and even Peter Kay, alongside cameos from other figures connected to the Manchester music scene.
Before it returns to cinemas, the film will first open music and media festival/conference, Beyond The Music, at MediaCity in Salford on 6 October.
The screening at the festival will also be followed by a Q&A with Coogan, Winterbottom, and producer Andrew Eaton.
24 Hour Party People will then be re-released in UK cinemas from 9 October, and you can check your local cinema for screening times and book tickets online now.
Emily Sergeant -
9th July 2020 
