Milky Way challenge

[acey]

I'd like to know what's the closest to London that anybody has been able to see the Milky Way (i.e. galaxy, not chocolate bar, with their own eyes, not a camera, and in the sky, not a planetarium. From the ground, not an aeroplane, and recently, not decades ago. And definitely visible).

To give a starting figure, I have absolutely no trouble seeing it in Northumberland, at a distance of 270 miles. Anyone like to go lower?

There are various distance calculators that might help:

http://www.infoplease.com/atlas/calculate-distance.html

http://www.daftlogic.com/projects-google-maps-distance-calculator.htm

http://www.freemaptools.com/how-far-is-it-between.htm

It's a serious question as I'm interested in light pollution (and people's visual ability).

[long_arms]

I've seen it from the suburbs of Basingstoke (my back garden).

Definitely visible although less obvious close to the horizon. 

There's a dark ish site a few miles away which I've never been to but heard good things about. So...55 miles I think?

Dan

[ronin]

How well is defined as seeing the Milky Way?

At a spot about 35 miles North where I visit it is easy enough. Keep meaning to take a camera one night.

But I would suspect that you can see it from 15-20 miles North if you go to somewhere like the Lee Valley Park and choose a location within there wisely. Epping Forest is another.

[AstroJon]

On a good night it is cleary visible from my back garden, near Oxford. Occasionally I have trouble locating Cassiopeia but nights like that are rare.

[Rustysplit]

Merstham, just outside M25 south, about 20 miles. Fairly obvious straight overhead when away from streetlights and there is no moon or haze.

[dick_dangerous]

Bushy Park, Zone 6, but barely. Having grown up in the New Forest I'm very familiar with what it looks like. It was on an extraordinarily transparent light, and even then it was extremely faint but, like I say, unmistakable.

DD

[acey]

Thanks for these replies - very interesting. To summarize so far:

Oxford (clearly visible) 51.6 miles

Basingstoke (definitely visible) 45.4 miles

Unnamed spot (easily visible) 35 miles

Merstham (fairly obvious) 17.5 miles

Bushy Park (barely visible, extremely faint) 11.6 miles

Would love to hear more reports.