The Perseid Meteor Shower happens every year when the earth passes through the remains of the comet Swift-Tuttle’s trail. This year the meteor shower will be especially spectacular, as the gravity from the planet Jupiter has pulled together at least three meteor streams left by the comet. You can expect to see up to 200 meteors per hour at its peak between Thursday evening and Saturday morning, but we’ll still continue to see some meteors through August 24th.
West Virginia is one of the best places to be when there’s excitement in the sky, since our wild and wonderful landscape has less light pollution than most other places in the Eastern United States.
The best time to watch for meteors will be after midnight, when the moon has set.
You’ll probably be able to see at least a few meteors from any dark location, but here are a few locations in West Virginia where you can find the darkest, clearest skies.
- Calhoun County Park
Calhoun County Park/Facebook Calhoun county is one of darkest areas of West Virginia. The park offers a great place to view the sky, and you can rent the “Herb Smith” barn for a place to stay. For barn rentals contact Duane Poling at (304) 354-6301.
- Thorny Mountain Fire Tower
WV Commerce This old fire tower has recently been refurbished and is available for rental. It’s located at Seneca State Forest, near Dunmore in Pocahontas County. For rental information, click here.
- Spruce Knob
http://www.forestwander.com/ Spruce Knob has the highest elevation in West Virginia, and has one of the darkest night skies in the Eastern United States. Even experienced astronomers are blown away when they come here to observe the sky. Be sure to wear warm clothing, as it can get very cold and windy, even in the summer. The drive up the mountain is on a dirt road with no guardrail, so be cautious driving at night.
- Summit Lake
http://www.forestwander.com/ You can stay the night at the campground in this beautiful area. It’s in Greenbrier County, near Richwood, WV.
- Blackwater Falls State Park
http://www.forestwander.com/ There’s a campground here where you can spend the night, and on Thursday and Friday nights the nature center will host a guide that will talk about the meteor shower.
- Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park
Reflection in a Pool Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park is located in the Greenbrier River Valley north of Lewisburg. There is a parking lot at the summit near the observation tower. You can’t stay the night at this tower, but you can get great views.
Here’s a video with some pictures of the Perseid Meteor Shower. These images were taken in the Rocky Mountains, but we’ll see similar shooting stars here.
Calhoun County Park/Facebook
Calhoun county is one of darkest areas of West Virginia. The park offers a great place to view the sky, and you can rent the “Herb Smith” barn for a place to stay. For barn rentals contact Duane Poling at (304) 354-6301.
WV Commerce
This old fire tower has recently been refurbished and is available for rental. It’s located at Seneca State Forest, near Dunmore in Pocahontas County. For rental information, click here.
Spruce Knob has the highest elevation in West Virginia, and has one of the darkest night skies in the Eastern United States. Even experienced astronomers are blown away when they come here to observe the sky. Be sure to wear warm clothing, as it can get very cold and windy, even in the summer. The drive up the mountain is on a dirt road with no guardrail, so be cautious driving at night.
You can stay the night at the campground in this beautiful area. It’s in Greenbrier County, near Richwood, WV.
There’s a campground here where you can spend the night, and on Thursday and Friday nights the nature center will host a guide that will talk about the meteor shower.
Reflection in a Pool
Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park is located in the Greenbrier River Valley north of Lewisburg. There is a parking lot at the summit near the observation tower. You can’t stay the night at this tower, but you can get great views.
If you’d like to see more of West Virginia’s nighttime beauty, check out these twelve pictures.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
