Who has naked eye Milky Way?

[Bart]

I can see it from horizon to horizon. On a dark night it is truly beautiful. I got up a couple of nights ago as it was clear and DARK again. When I stepped outside it almost stopped me in my tracks. I was tempted to foget the telescope and just get the reclining chair and a pair of 10x50s just so i could soak it up.

Bart

[ampleamp]

On a good night in rural Shropshire, no problem. Was really excellent the other night

[DaveS]

On the very best nights, after rain has washed all the gunk out of the air I can, with averted vision and a touch of imagination, make out a very feint luminous ribbon that just might possibly be the MW.

Other than that, forget it.

When I'm dictator I'll ban all outside lighting.

Dave

[Crunchard]

I've seen it in 3 places ... online, on TV, or in magazines.

I'm waiting for the next big cross-Sussex power grid failure to plunge me into exquisite darkness ... maybe then?

[spaceboy]

Iffy to OK. On good transparent nights of summer I can make it out when it sits at zenith. Dust lanes can be made out and a haze of the milky way is defined from the somewhat light sky of summer. Oddly enough it is a lot harder to make anything out in the dark nights of winter but I put that down to the position in the sky not being so high.

[ollypenrice]

So bright that more than a few people have mistaken it for cloud. Being at 3000 feet doesn't do any harm, either...

Olly

[Charon]

If it's clear I can see it, no lights near me.

[whirlpool5194]

Me, just! Well when I say just it is obvioius. Last night was superb!

Wp

[nitram100]

No freaking way.

[Polar Bear]

Not that long ago I had a good view of MW on a good clear night but now with some additional local lighting it's a bit of a sore point. Sometimes I think I can make something out but Its probably wishful thinking.

Maybe its not wishful thinking. I was working at Churchtown Telephone Exchange the other night and could just make out the Milky Way before the moon came up.

The Isle of Skye and Hinderwell in North Yorkshire have given me my best views.

[robbieince]

Not really here in Preston. On rare occasions like last night actually - I cam get a hint of milkiness high up say through Cygnus but never really clear.

Regards

Rob

[Macavity]

Variable to Good - Uphill from the N.Wales coast? But a fair bit of "security lighting" from the local Canolfan Fro (community centre!) and coastal illuminations. Not to mention the great metrollopses(!) of Liverpool, Manchester(?) etc. on the horizon...

[bluesman81]

Once my dark vision has adapted, then I can see it along with ursa major and minor, cygnus, cassiopia etc. Strange thing is though, some nights i cannot.........

[JohnR]

Got to say this thread is a bit of an eye opener to a country bumkin like myself,who's always taken for granted that i can just look up and see the stars.

When light pollution has been talked about up 'til now I've thought more in terms of not being able to see stuff 'as well' ,rather than not at all.Should count my blessings

[nitram100]

Got to say this thread is a bit of an eye opener to a country bumkin like myself,who's always taken for granted that i can just look up and see the stars.

When light pollution has been talked about up 'til now I've thought more in terms of not being able to see stuff 'as well' ,rather than not at all.Should count my blessings

You really should. I didn't see the Milky Way until age 26!

[pete_l]

When light pollution has been talked about up 'til now I've thought more in terms of not being able to see stuff 'as well' ,rather than not at all.Should count my blessings

The other side of the coin is that with the majority of people living in cities, the lack of a dark sky is taken as normal and not something to get concerned about. Even when non-astronomers do get to see a properly dark, clear sky they tend to regard it as a "sight" or a wonder - much like going to see the Grand Canyon - something special that you have to travel to see. They never question "why isn't my sky at home as dark as that?"

In a similar vein, I was in my teens before I ever noticed just how dark the night was. We were out walking (on holiday in the countryside) one night and I noticed I was casting a shadow. Fair enough - except I couldn't see any lights that could be causing it. It was a while before I looked up and saw the full moon. Until then I simply hadn't considered the possibility that the Moon could do that.

[Beulah]

From my observation point, I can clearly see the Cygnus Rift, right down to Saggitarius in the south.

[661-pete]

Even in crowded SE England, on the outskirts of a sizeable town (Burgess Hill), I can get the zenithal MW on most clear moonless nights in my back garden, in summer and early autumn. As a guide, it usually shows up from about Scutum, northwards through Cygnus and Cassiopeia into Perseus, I'm lucky if I can see more than that section. The more southerly section down to Sagittarius is too low in the sky for me from there, although when I go to France it's easy enough.

Appearance? Well I suppose it can't be called spectacular: problem is I know what I'm looking for and where to look for it, so I pick it out where the more casual observer might pass it by. Oh to be a complete newbie once more, gazing with wonder at the skies for the first ever time! (*sigh*).

Perhaps the 'poll' could have been contrived with a few more informative options, if you don't mind my saying so?

[JAllen]

In the summer, with leaves on the trees, the Milky Way can be clearly seen away from the horizon. Towards the winter though, it is dimmer and the garden lets in so much more light pollution.

[Superewza]

Not a chance. On a clear night i sometimes have trouble making out all the stars in Orion.

[Earl]

Interesting spread on the figures so far.

21,31,31

[faulksy]

i can see it on a good night from my garden, but if i travel 10 mins in car i can see everything naked eye including andromeda

[Catanonia]

Garden in Sandbach on the hill, I can make it out on a good night as a faint band across the sky.

[Macavity]

Typically my Sky Quality Meter reads 19.8 at the zenith, but that's not dark enough to see Andromeda naked-eye. Even though that SQM reading translates to about a VLM of 5.3, in practice those calculations just don't match my eyes

Interesting, such thing are RELATED - Even if evidence doesn't always tally! <G>. An internet search on sky-meters and sundry formulae is interesting tho'? Background (sic!) to my VIDEO astronomy, and all...

[g0ibi]

Seen on good clear nights from my garden, awesome just down the road though!