Where to view tonight’s Perseid Meteor Shower

From ‘mischiru’ via Flikr

For Information in the 2015 Meteor Shower, click here.

The annual Perseid Meteor shower is set to reach its peak this evening, and into the dark hours of the morning, and will be viewable from most places in San Diego where light pollution is minimal and there is no marine layer (so if you’re near the coast and hoping to view, you will most likely be out of luck).

The Perseid’s are usually green, red or orange in color and blaze across the heavens at 134,222 miles per hour. And some members of this shower are bright and often produce exploding fireballs. Taking into consideration all the observing conditions for the Perseid’s this year, potentially one may expect to see 30 to 40 meteors per hour.

But like the weather, anything is possible and you must take into account the brightness of the moon. Expert’s predict that this year the Earth will pass close to some old trails produced by parent comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, with an encounter of a trail formed in 1610.

Certainly something you will not want to miss, we have listed some spots where you can catch the Perseid meteor shower in the areas surrounding San Diego, perfect for stargazing!

Check out some of the best places to view tonight’s show after the jump:

• Old Highway 395 (Parallels Interstate 15)
  • Almost anywhere north of Escondido and south of Temecula
• Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
  • Access via Highways S-2 or 78
• Laguna Mountains
  • Exit Sunrise Highway (S-1) off Interstate 8 and head north
• Potrero Hills
  • Off Hwy. 94 (near town of Campo)
• Temecula
  • Rancho California Rd. west to De Luz Rd.
• Cleveland National Forest
  • Oroflame Cyn Rd.
  • Or exit Pine Valley Road off I-8 and head north on Old Hwy 80, then right on Pine Creek Road

Stargazing spot’s credit: Total Escape – Off the Beaten Path