Best Time to See the Perseid Meteor Shower in the Hudson Valley

It's that time: the biggest meteor shower of the year is coming. Grab a blanket and get ready.

One of the advantages we have in the Hudson Valley as opposed to a place like New York City is that we lack the pollution: light pollution, noise pollution, visible smog and such. We're able to appreciate sunsets and sunrises, beautiful sunny days, even those cool, crazy dark storm clouds and lightning strikes that we get from time-to-time.

Included in this is the fact that when some kind of space phenomenon happens, like an eclipse or a blood moon or whatever, we've got a perfect view. Every summer, the perseid meteor shower takes place and we get a front row seat for how crazy and cool outer space actually is.

If you're not familiar with the perseids, here's a video from last year to get you caught up:

So, how and when do you get to see this awesomeness? I'm glad you asked. If you didn't actually ask aloud, at least let me pretend... indulge me, will ya?

According to Space.com (and honestly, who would know better than space's actual website?), on August 12th around 10PM.

That same website hosts a recommendation from NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke, who says that the best way to go about it is to give yourself some time--don't just wander outside and think you're going to get the satisfaction immediately and then go back inside. This isn't your average fireworks show. Instead, he says, plan out a little bit of time. Get a blanket or something, sit out in a field or your driveway or front porch if you have a good view of the sky, and watch the meteor shower develop. If you can get to a spot that's entirely away from streetlights and such, that's even better; when your eyes are adjusted to the darkness of the sky, the meteors will seem even more impressive and cool by contrast.

Good luck, and don't let the vastness of the skies freak you out. I know how it is, I've spent one too many nights, panicked in the fetal position, nervously ruminating on how insignificant my existence is in the grand scheme of the universe.