UK observing on November 5th!

[trynda1701]

So, the annual firework barrage has come and gone again. I don't think the forecast was conductive to observing, but did anyone risk it if they had clear skies?

 

I didn't have clear skies, but personally, I wouldn't chance it. A few years back, I came out next day to find the remains of a firework on my car roof! Between falling debris and smoky atmosphere, I thought it's just not on, or worth the risk!

 

But did anyone have any luck, perhaps being far enough out in the countryside, UK wise, to try and observe?

 

Mark

[Gina]

Definitely too risky - overcast here anyway.

[Mognet]

Fireworks night round my way can last for a couple of weeks. After the main barrage of the evening has finished then I'll go out if it's clear enough. Not that it has been this week

[Captain Scarlet]

Not November 5th, but its weekend equivalent, Saturday 2nd: I did observe from SW London, with my little Mak 127. There was a thin veil of cloud and occasional thicker bands passing through and no doubt a deal of smoke as well. Having a couple of nights previously measured my back garden as 19.15 SQM-value, Saturday night was 18.6, no doubt the cloud reflecting.

What was most striking, apart from finding and observing Uranus for my very first time (a distinct blueish disk, I was very excited and gratified), was that the sky was "awash" with sweeping lasers, all night. I also got a brief exquisite view of M42 at 43x, but by the time I'd switched up to a higher-power eyepiece, cloud had moved in and kept most of Orion covered from then on.

But with Uranus and no dew condensation problems, I had a quite satisfying night.

Magnus

[trynda1701]

Up here, this year I heard my first firework around the middle.of October, but that's late this year!

 

And of course, like Captain Magenta said, there can be serious public firework displays over the weekend closest to the 5th.

 

Believe it or not, although it's cloudy, so no astronomy for me tonight, someone is having a display from their garden a few rows away right now as I type!

[david_taurus83]

Yesterday the Midlands seemed to be blanketed in a hazy smog of firework and bonfire smoke with little or no wind to clear it. Could smell smoke all day at work! Was clear in the evening but even Mars looked dim. Sickness bug in our house anyway so staying in for the week.