HOUSTON — While living in a city has its perks -- the mix of cultures, food and a never-ending list of activities -- it makes one thing extremely difficult: stargazing.
And with the Perseid meteor shower hitting its peak Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, many are wondering where to watch the show.
According to Dr. Carolyn Sumner, an astronomer with the Houston Museum of Natural Science, it’s best to get as far away from the city’s lights as possible. Usually, stargazers can visit observatories in Houston to get the best view, but most of them are closed from the coronavirus pandemic.
Your next best option, Dr. Sumner said, is Brazos Bend State Park (which requires reservations) or Barker Reservoir. If you’re in north Houston, she said it’s best to drive a few miles more north, until it is dark enough to see the Milky Way.
The shower should start right after midnight, toward the east, but will eventually streak across the whole sky, hitting its peak around 1 a.m. Wednesday.
Stargazers can expect to see one meteor per minute and nearly 65 meteors through the whole shower. Dr. Sumner suggests bringing food, snacks and a lawn chair, and getting comfortable.
“The whole experience can take a long time,” Dr. Sumner said. “So just relax and enjoy the heavens.”