Sleep Under The Stars in Utah Tonight

August 8 is Global Sleep Under the Stars Day and Utah is the perfect place to do it.  

The temperatures are still pretty hot during the day so going out at night to appreciate nature is way more ideal this time of year. Utah is home to many great outdoor places like Zion National Park, but you don’t need to travel, especially in Southern Utah.  

Step outside your backyard tonight and you’ll have a great view of the night sky just about anywhere. It’s a fun way to get out of the house and do something a little different. Grab your family and set up chairs, tents or blankets (and some snacks) and appreciate Utah’s super clear skies.  

Some cities have even been labeled Dark Sky Cities which essentially means that smog and light pollution aren’t an issue to view the stars. One of the most recent places to receive the Dark Sky Lable is Springdale, UT. You can read our latest article about it here.  

Global Sleep Under the Stars Day falls into the Perseid Meteor Shower which is active in the Northern Hemisphere right now. Space.com said the Perseid Meteor Shower happens from mid-July to late August each year. This year, the meteor shower is expected to peak around Aug. 13. 

There should be just enough moonlight to allow viewers to see fainter meteors but not so much that it washes them out. Last year, the moon was a little too bright. You can expect to see around 100 meteors during the peak.  

So, take your friends, family, or even just yourself, and see the stars (and meteors) in all their glory.