It’s nearly bonfire night and many of us are either stocking up on fireworks or calling in professional display organisers so that we can make this year’s celebrations bigger and better than last years’.

However, you may want to be a bit more ambitious with your plans, because a display in Japan has stunned onlookers and knocked all other fireworks displays out of the water by launching the world’s heaviest firework.

The firework, weighing a massive 460kg, was set off in Konosu in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. The rocket was launched in honour of a festival in the city, but has now made the record books by becoming the heaviest firework of its kind ever successfully launched.

Crowds were stunned and delighted by the rocket which, as you can imagine for an explosive weighing 460kg, put on a very impressive display. Once fired into the air, it exploded into a bright ball of light which is estimated to measure around 800 metres across. It lit up the sky for miles around, and was later certified by officials from the Guinness Book of Records as the heaviest firework ever launched anywhere in the world.

Other amazing fireworks records

The Konosu firework isn’t the only one to make the record books, as there are plenty of other pyrotechnic enthusiasts who have managed to smash records with their fireworks. Here are a couple of other amazing records:

• Largest fireworks display – this record was set by the Dubai government on New Year’s Eve 2013, after a staggering 479,651 fireworks were launched from the Palm Jumeirah Island and the World Islands
• Largest chocolate firework – this seemingly impossible combination of explosives and confectionary was lit and exploded back in 2002, again on New Year’s Eve, by Nestlé. To the delight of spectators attending the display in Zurich, Switzerland, the firework released 60 kilograms of chocolates.

Planning a record-breaking display? Make sure to stay safe

We all want to make Bonfire Night memorable, but if you’re planning anything particularly special – make sure you do it safely. Whether you’re aiming for the biggest bonfire or the loudest fireworks display, you need to keep everyone at your event safe and stay within the law.

You should only buy fireworks from reputable fireworks suppliers and follow all health and safety rules. If a firework product seems insanely cheap then yes, it probably is too good to be true. You’re aiming for good value, for good products at a reasonable price. Poor quality fireworks can misfire, cause damage or injury, or produce so much acrid smoke that you can’t even see the colours and lights. In short, they’re a waste of money and they could be dangerous.

If you want to try something unusual or ambitious, why not call in professional fireworks display organisers to handle it for you? Professionals like the team at 1^st Galaxy Fireworks will have the expertise to pull off the effect properly and safely, whereas an amateur may inadvertently cause a fire, damage to property or injury to someone.