Best Places to View the Perseid Meteor Shower

Block Island, Rhode Island

When Perseid meteors zing and flash across the northeast night sky in mid-August, those who find their way to this seaswept bit of land 12 miles off the coast of Rhode Island could well have the best view in North America due to Block Island's optimal location and few streetlights. The annual night-sky spectacular of 'shooting' and 'falling stars' known as the Perseid Meteor Shower draws stargazers to dark-sky destinations all over the continent. No matter where you find yourself, seek a safe dark spot far from urban glow, lie down with your toes pointing northeast and enjoy the show!

Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah

Visitors who leave Natural Bridges’ rugged landscape before sundown miss one of the park’s most magnificent sights: the incredible night sky overhead. Natural Bridges has one of the darkest night skies in the U.S., leading the International Dark-Sky Association to designate Natural Bridges as the world’s first International Dark Sky Park. Dry air aids visibility, making this Utah park one of the continent’s top destinations in the west for viewing astronomical events like the Perseid meteor shower.

Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Beach communities in the northeast are prime real estate for aficionados of this astronomical phenomenon, especially Surfside Beach on Nantucket, Chatham Light Beach or remoter Cape Cod locations like Wellfleet or Truro. Called Perseid meteors because they appear to fall from the constellation Perseus which rises in the northeast around 11 p.m. in mid-August, the Perseid Meteor Shower reaches its peak this year (2009) on August 12 when hundreds will shoot, streak and fall across the heavens.

Cherry Springs State Park

Remote, wild Cherry Springs State Park, Pennsylvania, is one of the best places in the east to ooh and aah over the Perseid meteor shower because it has an Astronomy Field for 360-degree viewing of the night sky. As the second International Dark-Sky Park in the world, it will be a major draw for both professional and amateur astronomers in 2009, International Year of Astronomy.
Wherever you are in mid-August, try to get as unobstructed view northeast as possible; that's where the Perseids appear.

Bar Harbor, Maine

Maine has some of the darkest, most beautiful night skies in the east. The town of Bar Harbor (near Acadia National Park) in particular gets kudos from stargazers for passing lighting ordinances to prevent light pollution. I've heard even better stargazing is available from the water, so why not join a night tour by sea kayak?
If you decide to remain on land, situate yourself facing away from any potential oncoming headlights to preserve your night vision. Experienced Perseid viewers also keep their night vision sharp by bringing along a red-filtered flashlight to read charts and make notes by.

Big Bend National Park, Texas

Southwestern states like Arizona, New Mexico and Texas are popular dark-sky destinations because dry desert air reduces distortion and make displays like the Perseid Meteor Shower all the more dazzling. With zero light pollution, southwest Texas' Big Bend National Park has night skies so amazing that the University of Texas put its Observatory in nearby Davis Mountains.

Mont Megantic, Quebec

The International Dark-Sky Association's first Dark Sky Preserve is located in Canada, covering abour 5500 square km around the observatory at the summit of Mont Mégantic, the highest point of Québec province accessible by car.
The observatory is about 250 km east of Montréal and about the same distance south of Quebec City, near the city of Sherbrooke. With light pollution in the area now carefully monitored and controlled, Mont Megantic is one of North America's best spots to view the Perseid Meteor Shower and other astronomical events.