Borrego Springs – Perfect Place to View the Perseid Meteor Shower!

Photo by Eliot Herman

As a designated International Dark Sky Community Borrego Springs is the perfect place to view the Perseid Meteor Shower.

The Perseids peak the night of Wednesday, August 11, through the predawn hours of Thursday, August 12, when Earth makes its way through the densest cloud of debris from the comet. However, Earth will pass through the Comet Swift-Tuttle’s dust cloud starting July 17 and will continue to do so until August 26, so you can try viewing the meteors the nights before and after the peak night as well.

You won’t need a telescope, since the Perseids are bright enough to see with the naked eye. However, NASA recommends giving yourself about 45 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark. In 2021, the moon will only be 13 percent full and will set in the early evening on the peak night of the Perseids. This means you can expect dark skies. Peak viewing is between midnight and 4am but plenty of meteors should be viewable any time after darkness.

As a Dark Sky Community Borrego manages to limit artificial night time light generated locally. A perfect place to view the Perseids is right “downtown” from Christmas Circle Community Park. Put a blanket down on the grass or set up a lawn chair, relax and enjoy the show!