This week's nature watch takes to the skies. On Wednesday, 22nd June with the midsummer full moon at perigee, (closest to Earth in its orbit) Kevin Sale, Jane Johnston, Tina Jones and I went to Brampton Abbotts to watch it rise in the south. The actual south horizon cannot be seen from Brampton Abbotts, so we had to wait until it had risen above Chase Woods but none the less, it proved to be a pretty spectacular sight.

As can be seen in the bottom photograph, light pollution from the Overross Industrial Estate and in particular, from the Somerfield Depot causes problems with viewing the night skies from Brampton Abbotts these days. This, combined with long daylight hours made ordinary stargazing difficult on the evening but I still managed to catch a shot of the planet, Saturn (above) set against a dark blue sky and with its rings clearly visible.

I must say that this was one of the most enjoyable evenings out I have spent in a long while. In the countryside, on a peaceful hot summer's evening, drinking Earl Grey tea and watching the night sky with friends.