There’s An Incredible Meteor Shower Happening This Week And South Dakota Has A Front Row Seat

While the 2017 total solar eclipse has gotten a lot of press lately, there’s another reason to gaze heavenward in August. The Perseid Meteor Shower will be visible this weekend, and you’re not going to want to miss it!

The Perseid Meteor Shower occurs annually. This year, the meteors flashing across the night sky will be at their peak on August 12th. August 11th and 13th are also prime viewing nights.

To best witness this spectacle, you’ll need to find a very dark place with little light pollution. Between midnight and dawn, you’ll see about 80 meteors an hour.

International Dark Sky Parks are those certified to have almost no light pollution. South Dakota has one designated Dark Sky Park - Badlands National Park.

Because this beautiful, vast place is not near any large towns, the darkness at Badlands is pretty complete at night. No light pollution means that you can see way more stars (and meteors) than you can near or in a populated city with lots of artificial light sources.

If you visit Badlands National Park for this event, make sure to settle in plenty early to give your eyes time to adjust (at least a half hour). You’ll see the most meteors between midnight and dawn, with the peak time around 1:00 EST.

What are your plans for this epic event? Tell us in the comments below!