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There’s no doubt Kielder Observatory possesses its own special atmosphere.

Nestled in the heart of Northumberland International Dark Sky Park, it attracts stargazers from all around the world.

In most urban areas you’ll be lucky to see 30 or 40 stars at night, but at Kielder you can see 1,500 to 2,000.

And on a clear night stargazers can at times actually see the Milky Way.

The breathtaking sights have brought more than 80,000 people to the observatory since it opened nine years ago.

Dan Monk has worked as an astronomer at the observatory for four years and says they’ve had their busiest summer yet.

He said: “We used to have a drop in the summer when we had light nights and people had to come later, but this summer we’ve had so many bookings.

“The observatory is very popular which is down to word of mouth and more people are finding out about it. I love it. It is the best job in the world.”

With the dark nights drawing in, here is what stargazers can look out for in the coming months.

Leonids meteor shower

Stargazers can see around 10 to 15 meteors per hour when the shower reaches its peak of activity.

It will be most visible on the evening of November 17 into the early hours of November 18.

The shower is called Leonids because its radiant, or the point in the sky where the meteors seem to emerge from, lies in the constellation Leo.

Mr Monk said: “It is not the biggest one but it is definitely worth a look.

“In 1966 there were thousands of meteors seen per hour and there’s a lot of interest if that’ll happen again.”

Geminids meteor shower

One of the best meteor showers of the year will take place in the middle of December.

Mr Monk said: “It is really good because when there is no bright moon at night, the sky is darker.

“You can see 100 meteors per hour if you’re in the perfect location and have perfect conditions.”

The shower peaks on the evening of December 13 into the early hours of December 14.

Quadrantids meteor shower

It is expected to peak on January 3 and 4 next year, with 50 to 100 meteors being visible per hour.

(Image: archive)

Comet ASASSN

The comet is making its first approach to the inner Solar System for around 3,600 years.

It has been named Comet ASASSN and was discovered in July by an observatory in Chile. Since then, it has brightened considerably to around magnitude 9.

Mr Monk said: “It is one to look out for. It will be visible through binoculars and small telescopes in November but might be difficult to find.”

Planets

Stargazers should be on the lookout for an array of planets over the coming months.

Towards the end of October, Venus and Mars will be close together meaning they are more visible.

Mr Monk said: “Venus is a really bright planet but you’ll have to get up at 6am to 7am to see it.”

Mars and Jupiter will also be visible at similar times in late December.

To find out more about Kielder Observatory and to book events visit www.kielderobservatory.org .