There S An Incredible Meteor Shower Happening This Week And Utah Has A Front Row Seat

The annual Perseid Meteor Shower is happening later this week, and you don’t want to miss it! Take a look at this list of the best places to see it.

The meteor shower will be most visible between midnight and dawn on August 12th, though you can also witness a pretty good show the night before and night after.

Wilson Lam/flickr

You’ll want to find yourself a good spot to gaze heavenward on August 12th, which is the peak night to see the Perseid Meteor Shower.

h4x0rblue/flickr

It’s easiest to see the meteor shower where there’s no light pollution. Lucky for us, Utah has nine Certified International Dark Sky parks!

CEBImagry/flickr

In Southeastern Utah, Canyonlands National Park offers the darkest skies. It has a gold-tier rating. Other parks in this part of the state include Hovenweep National Monument, Natural Bridges National Monument and Dead Horse State Park. The Moab area is also a Certified Dark Sky Park - just get out away from the downtown area a bit.

David Kingham/flickr

In Southern Utah, Capitol Reef National Park is a great choice for viewing the meteor shower. Other Dark Sky Parks include Goblin Valley State Park and Cedar Breaks National Monument.

Capitol Reef National Park/Facebook

In Northern Utah it’s harder to find areas that aren’t light polluted, but North Fork Park of Ogden Valley is a Certified Dark Sky Park, so head up Ogden or Weber Canyons to find some nice, dark skies full of stars (and meteors!)

skyseeker/flickr

What are your plans for the Perseid Meteor Shower? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!