Although Camelopardalid meteor showers let stargazers down in May, Perseid outburst is giving another chance for you to realize a midsummer night’s dream. This year, astronomers expect 200 meteors per hour seen on the peak night – and the peak night is TONIGHT!
If you’re living in the midst of city, however, it’s not easy to drive far enough to find a place where light pollution won’t bother your stargazing experience (I mean, it’s still Thursday and the weekend, sadly, is yet to come). But it’s too early to be disappointed yet! You can still find plenty of places to stargaze without driving out to places like Joshua Tree National Parks. Without further ado, here are some places near Los Angeles to watch Perseid shower tonight.
- Mount Pinos Summit
For amateur astronomers living in Los Angeles, Ventura, and Kern County, Mt. Pinos is considered to be one of the best stargazing spots, thanks to the location’s extremely low light pollution and frequent clear skies. Go to the large parking area (Chula Vista) surrounded by tall pines located about 1.4 miles east of the actual Mt. Pinos peak.
- Templin Highway
Templin Hwy is another popular stargazing spot near Los Angeles. Take I-5 and drive about 45 minutes out of Los Angeles and in minutes after you exit I-5 onto Templin, you will find several dozen cars and fellow stargazers.
- Malibu Creek State Park
If you’re looking for a populated place rather than serenity for your stargazing, Malibu Creek State Park in Santa Monica Mountains is the place to go. Go to the upper parking lot and you will find groups of people came out for casual stargazing. Malibu Creek also offers overnight camping.
- Topanga State Park
Considering its adjacency to the city, Topanga offers remarkably dark skies, perfectly appropriated for a meteor-watching. The farther west you go, the darker skies can you find so consider driving a bit more to see the spectacle clearer.
Although not hosting a stargazing event for tonight’s Perseid meteor shower due to its light-pollution-adjacent location, Griffith Observatory shared a video about how to watch the meteor shower. Learn about what’s to happen tonight!
By Heewon Kim
