How to Catch a Glimpse of Monday Night's Meteor Shower

Two dueling meteor showers will peak Monday night, giving much of the United States the chance to see up to 25 meteors per hour streak across the night sky. However, some regions of the US will offer far better views of the spectacular astronomical event. Here's where you'll want to be to catch Monday night and Tuesday morning's meteor shower.

When to Catch the Meteor Shower

The meteor shower will be most visible from dusk on Monday night with peak viewing lasting through dawn on Tuesday morning.

Where to Have the Best Views of the Meteor Shower

Skygazers will need to consider a number of factors to enjoy optimal viewing conditions of the meteor shower. The most important is cloud cover. Check your local weather for viewability. Second, if you live in a large city with substantial light pollution, you'll want to make your way to somewhere more remote. Here are the best cities to catch Monday's astronomical event.

The Northeast

• Cape May, NJ (1 hour and 45 minutes from Philadelphia)
• Hudson, NY (2 hours and 30 minutes from New York City)
• Cape Cod, MA (1 hour and 30 minutes from Boston)

The Mid-Atlantic

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• Virginia Beach, VA (30 minutes from Norfolk, VA)
• Annapolis, MD (45 minutes from Washington, DC, Baltimore)
• Kitty Hawk, NC

The South

• Athens, GA (1 hour and 30 minutes from Atlanta)
• Gulf Shores, AL (3 hours from New Orleans)
• Myrtle Beach, SC
• Hilton Head Island, SC

The Midwest

• Moline, IL (2 hours and 45 minutes from Chicago)
• St. Cloud, MN (1 hour from Minneapolis)
• Columbia, MO (2 hours from St. Louis)
• Topeka, KS (1 hour from Kansas City)

The West Coast/Western US

• John Martin Reservoir State Park (3 hours and 45 minutes from Denver)
• Lake Meade, NV (35 minutes from Las Vegas)
• Oxnard, CA (1 hour from Los Angeles)
• Fresno, CA (2 hours and 45 minutes from the Bay Area)
• Hood River, OR (1 hour from Portland)
• Yakima, WA (2 hours from Seattle)

Bottom Line

With such short notice, Monday night's meteor shower might be the perfect time to rediscover the great American past time of road tripping. This isn't a once in a lifetime event, however, if you live in a region of the country with optimal viewing conditions, it may be worth a drive to a smaller city near your hometown.

For more information on Monday's astronomical event, visit the American Meteor Society's website.

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