The Night Sky

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Stuart Clark: We're not losing our association with the night sky. But it's changing fundamentally because of images that we get back from spacecraft, space telescopes,. rovers on Mars and these amazing astro photographs showing us the comet. Each one of us has a much more detailed idea of what the wider cosmos looks like. And yet, the dichotomy is that that visceral emotional connection to the night sky seems to be on the downward trend.

This week star gazers will be hoping to catch sight of an exotic green comet that last passed by Earth 50,000 years ago. But, unlike the view our Neanderthal ancestors would have had, light pollution will make witnessing this celestial event an impossibility for many. Ian Sample speaks to astronomy journalist Dr Stuart Clark about how best to see the comet, and why it’s time to rethink our relationship with the night sky. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod