Where to watch Perseids near NYC

August 11, 2010 7:53 AM

Where's the best place to watch meteors within driving distance of Brooklyn?

We want to see Perseids tonight. Where can we drive to within an hour or two of Brooklyn that will be dark enough and have a place we can watch comfortably? Specifics encouraged.

posted by pollex to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (5 answers total)

I'd say head to the Delaware Water Gap or some similar place. It's a bit under two hours from Brooklyn on I-80. It should be reasonably dark, as it's about as close to the middle of nowhere as you can get that close to the city, and it's open 24 hours.
posted by valkyryn at 8:14 AM on August 11, 2010

Fahnstock Park. Just pull off the side of the road. Or Cold Spring. Or Bear Mountain or to be honest anywhere along the Hudson off the Taconic or 9D/W. I don't know if you can get up Breackneck Ridge at night but if so, that would be perfect.
posted by spicynuts at 8:55 AM on August 11, 2010

Overlaying the The World Atlas of the Artificial Night Sky Brightness's high-res map with Google Earth for your region shows the best locations within driving distance are located in Delaware County, New York State, ideally near either the Pepacton or the Cannonsville Reservoir. Downsville, NY looks good (~2.5 hours).

The DWG won't be nearly dark enough. Oh sure, dark enough to see a couple… but no fireworks, that's for sure.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 9:13 AM on August 11, 2010 [1 favorite]

There are some placemarks near NYC on this nifty Dark Sky Finder google map overlay thing. But the light-polution heat-map is making it look pretty dismal near where you are. Might be of use to other folks looking to watch the meteor shower, though. Best of luck.
posted by jjjjjjjijjjjjjj at 10:18 AM on August 11, 2010

Sorry. Direct "Dark sky finder" link to NYC area.

While I'm at it, here's a map for you lucky folks in Caliente, NV.
posted by jjjjjjjijjjjjjj at 10:27 AM on August 11, 2010