How to Watch the 2024 Perseid Meteor Shower Near Los Angeles

Where to Watch the Perseid Meteor Shower Near Los Angeles

The Perseid meteor shower, renowned for being one of the most captivating annual celestial events, is set to peak this weekend. Starting Sunday night and continuing into the early hours of Monday, the shower could showcase up to 60 meteors per hour.

Bill Cooke, who leads NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office, noted that while the Geminid meteor shower generally has more meteors, this year's Perseids are expected to be the star attraction due to less interference from moonlight.

How to Maximize Your Viewing Experience

For the best experience, find the darkest location you can, lie on your back, and give your eyes about 45 minutes to fully adjust to the night sky. The Perseid meteors are remnants of the Swift-Tuttle comet, burning up as they enter Earth’s atmosphere, creating a spectacular light show.

The shower will start ramping up at 11 p.m. on Sunday, with peak activity in the hours before dawn on Monday. The setting moon around midnight will create an ideal dark sky for meteor viewing.

Understanding Light Pollution: The Bortle Scale

For the clearest view, seek out locations with minimal light pollution, ideally a spot that falls into Bortle class 4 or lower. The Bortle Dark Sky Scale measures the brightness of the night sky, ranging from class 1 (the darkest skies) to class 9 (the brightest urban skies). While Bortle class 5 areas might still offer some visibility, the experience won’t be as vivid as in darker locations.

Don’t Focus Solely on Perseus : While the Perseids are named for their apparent origin in the Perseus constellation, meteors can appear anywhere in the sky. Lying flat on your back offers the broadest view and the best chance of spotting them.

The speed of meteors— about 133,200 mph —makes them difficult to track with visual aids like binoculars or a zoom lens. Your eyes are your best tool for taking in the entire show.

Related: Camping: Joshua Tree National Park

Top Viewing Spots Near Los Angeles

A few of the top viewing spots near L.A. that should make for a great view of the shower, according to LAist .

Mt. Wilson
Located at an elevation of 5,700 feet, Mt. Wilson is a convenient option for those looking to escape the city lights. While still affected by some light pollution from Los Angeles, this area in the San Gabriel Mountains offers a decent view classified as Bortle 5.

Santa Monica Mountains
A few dark sky spots can be found in the Santa Monica Mountains, with the Lois Ewen Overlook on Stunt Road being a popular choice for skywatchers.

Los Padres National Forest
For those willing to venture further, Los Padres National Forest offers several areas with Bortle class 3 and 4 skies. Mt. Pinos is a particularly good option, with campsites available for those who want to make a night of it.

Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert provides one of the best opportunities for dark sky viewing near Los Angeles. With numerous Bortle class 4 areas, simply find a safe area away from the road and enjoy the show.

To locate the darkest possible sky near you, use the light pollution map below.