Gaia GPS
  • Explore The Map
  • Get the App
  • Upgrade Today
  • Explore The Map Catalog
  • New Features
    • Gaia GPS

      The Hike Map That Broke Me: How Gaia…

      April 24, 2025

      Gaia GPS

      Introducing the Gaia Hike Map: Plan Your Hike,…

      March 18, 2025

      Gaia GPS

      Unlock a New Level of Personalization in Gaia…

      December 12, 2024

      Gaia GPS

      Goodbye Clutter, Hello Streamlined Maps: Introducing Sync to…

      November 26, 2024

      Gaia GPS

      Discover Prime Stargazing Locations with Our New Light…

      August 15, 2024

      Gaia GPS

      2023 Mapped: Our Best New Features of the…

      December 27, 2023

      Gaia GPS

      Discover Adventure Easier Than Ever with New Map…

      July 27, 2023

    • New Maps
      • Gaia GPS

        Discover Prime Stargazing Locations with Our New Light…

        August 15, 2024

        Gaia GPS

        Find Prime Viewing for Total Solar Eclipse with…

        March 27, 2024

        Gaia GPS

        See the World More Clearly with New Gaia…

        May 18, 2023

        Gaia GPS

        Gaia Classic: The Only Map You’ll Ever Need?

        May 4, 2023

        Backcountry Skiing

        Find Backcountry Skiing in Gaia Winter Map

        January 11, 2023

        Gaia GPS

        Our Favorite New Maps and Features

        December 23, 2022

        Gaia GPS

        Spy Avalanche Terrain with Higher Res Slope Angle…

        December 14, 2022

  • Activities
    • Backcountry Skiing
    • Boating
    • Emergency Response
    • Fishing
    • Offroading
  • Adventures
    • User Stories
  • Help
Top Posts
Battling the Wind: Setting Your Shocks to Firm...
The Hike Map That Broke Me: How Gaia...
A Fond Farewell to National Geographic Maps —...
Introducing the Gaia Hike Map: Plan Your Hike,...
Download the app and get a free 14-day...
Gaia GPS is Improving Satellite Imagery: Saying Goodbye...
How I Used Gaia GPS to Navigate Italy
Gaia GPS x Toyota: A New Way to...
Download Gaia GPS– iOS & Android App
Unlock a New Level of Personalization in Gaia...
Gaia GPS
  • Explore The Map
  • Get the App
  • Upgrade Today
  • Explore The Map Catalog
  • New Features
    • Gaia GPS

      The Hike Map That Broke Me: How Gaia…

      April 24, 2025

      Gaia GPS

      Introducing the Gaia Hike Map: Plan Your Hike,…

      March 18, 2025

      Gaia GPS

      Unlock a New Level of Personalization in Gaia…

      December 12, 2024

      Gaia GPS

      Goodbye Clutter, Hello Streamlined Maps: Introducing Sync to…

      November 26, 2024

      Gaia GPS

      Discover Prime Stargazing Locations with Our New Light…

      August 15, 2024

      Gaia GPS

      2023 Mapped: Our Best New Features of the…

      December 27, 2023

      Gaia GPS

      Discover Adventure Easier Than Ever with New Map…

      July 27, 2023

    • New Maps
      • Gaia GPS

        Discover Prime Stargazing Locations with Our New Light…

        August 15, 2024

        Gaia GPS

        Find Prime Viewing for Total Solar Eclipse with…

        March 27, 2024

        Gaia GPS

        See the World More Clearly with New Gaia…

        May 18, 2023

        Gaia GPS

        Gaia Classic: The Only Map You’ll Ever Need?

        May 4, 2023

        Backcountry Skiing

        Find Backcountry Skiing in Gaia Winter Map

        January 11, 2023

        Gaia GPS

        Our Favorite New Maps and Features

        December 23, 2022

        Gaia GPS

        Spy Avalanche Terrain with Higher Res Slope Angle…

        December 14, 2022

  • Activities
    • Backcountry Skiing
    • Boating
    • Emergency Response
    • Fishing
    • Offroading
  • Adventures
    • User Stories
  • Help
Tag:

stargazing

Gaia GPSNew FeaturesNew Maps

Discover Prime Stargazing Locations with Our New Light Pollution Map

by Tricia Speziale Edwards August 15, 2024
written by Tricia Speziale Edwards 3 min. read

Calling all stargazers and photographers! We’re excited to introduce our new and improved Light Pollution map layer. Using an easy-to-read color scale, this upgraded map is designed to help you find the best locations for observing the night sky. Whether you’re an avid astro-nerd looking to push your telescope to its limits or simply someone who enjoys the tranquility of a star-filled night, this map is your gateway to darker skies and more brilliant celestial views. 

How to Access the Light Pollution Map

  1. Visit gaiagps.com on your desktop or open the iOS/Android app on your mobile device.
  2. Locate the layers icon (left sidebar on desktop, bottom left corner on mobile).
  3. Select “+ Add Map Layers” and search for “Light Pollution.”
  4. Tap the ‘+’ icon to add the layer to your map.

Pro Tip: For optimal viewing, overlay the Light Pollution layer on our Gaia GPS Black and White map. This combination allows you to see the color scale of light pollution and essential map details.

Optimizing Your Stargazing Experience

The upcoming Perseid Meteor Shower presents a perfect opportunity to test our new map. While light pollution significantly affects the visibility of diffuse objects like comets and galaxies, you can still enjoy meteor showers even in moderately light-polluted areas (shown in red on our map).

For the best meteor-watching experience:

  1. Aim for areas colored Green through Black on our Light Pollution scale.
  2. Allow your eyes to adapt to the darkness for at least 20-30 minutes.
  3. Consider additional factors such as moon phase, weather conditions, and cloud cover.

Remember, darker skies will reveal more meteors and enhance the overall spectacle of the shower.

Unlock the Full Potential with Gaia GPS Premium

The Light Pollution map layer is a premium feature available to Gaia GPS Premium and Outside+ members. Your subscription grants you access to our 300-plus map catalog, offline navigation, plus planning, recording, and sharing tools. Adventure safely with Gaia GPS Premium’s suite of weather features and safety tools including air quality, wildfire maps, and slope angle shading.

Elevate your stargazing adventures and outdoor experiences with Gaia GPS Premium. Start exploring darker skies and brighter stars today!

August 15, 2024
0 FacebookTwitterLinkedinRedditEmail
Gaia GPSHow-To

How to See the Perseids Meteor Shower

by Corey Buhay August 10, 2021
written by Corey Buhay

The Perseids meteor shower happens every August, and in 2021 the meteor shower will peak on August 11 and 12. The moon will appear as a crescent this year, making the sky perfectly dark for viewing the brilliant meteors. The Perseids shower 50-75 meteors an hour.

Whether you’re looking for a romantic date night, an opportunity to really wow a first-time camper, or a quiet night to yourself, the Perseids are not to be missed. Here are some tips to see the meteor shower at its best.

1) Find dark skies using a light pollution map.
The full moon isn’t the only thing that can outshine the Perseids’ glow. Get as far as you can from artificial light to ensure dark skies and better viewing. Try using the Light Pollution overlay in Gaia GPS to find campsites unaffected by city lights.

Light pollution overlay map in Gaia GPS on an ipad
Use the Light Pollution Overlay to find dark skies for better views of the Perseids meteor shower.

2) Look for the Perseids meteor shower during a new moon or a crescent moon
The Perseids are usually active from mid-July through August, with a peak in early August. This year, the best time to see them is during the peak on August 11 and 12 where the meteors will likely outshine the light of the quarter moon.

3) Check the weather before you go.
Dark skies are great, but they don’t mean much if there’s cloud cover. Check the weather before you pick a meteor shower viewing spot. One good option: this 24-Hour Weather Forecast map overlay, which uses data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.

4) Also check the air pollution and smoke forecast to ensure clear skies.
Overhead haze can impede your view of distant stars just like any other weather phenomenon. Check the Air Quality Forecast overlays in Gaia GPS to make sure you’re headed to a site with crystal-clear air, unaffected by smog or other pollutants.

It’s also smart to keep smoke on your radar this time of year. Check the Smoke Forecast overlays and also scan for nearby wildfires using the Current Wildfires map overlay.

Air Quality Forecast map in Gaia GPS on an ipad.
Find the clearest skies near you using the Air Quality Forecast map.

6) Get to higher elevation if you can.
If you’re close to the mountains, head uphill. Air tends to be clearer at higher elevations. Finding a trail or campsite high up on a hill or bald can also be a good way to escape obscuring tree cover.

5) Stay up later.
The best time to see the Perseids meteor shower is between 11pm and 4am, when skies are darkest. If you need to brew a cup of after-dinner coffee to hold out for the good stuff, so be it.

6) Keep your eyes about 45 degrees above the horizon
Don’t miss all the action by looking at the wrong part of the sky. Meteors are brightest when they’re overhead (as opposed to at the horizon) since that’s when they’re closest to the earth. Direct your gaze such that it makes a line about 45 degrees from the surface of the earth. We recommend packing a camp chair or a picnic blanket to lie on.

bright meteors streaking across a starry night sky
The Perseids meteor shower is not to be missed.

7) Let your eyes adapt to the dark before peak viewing hours.
It can take your eyes 30 minutes to an hour to fully adjust to the dark. Turn off all headlamps, and extinguish all campfires at least an hour before the peak viewing window starts. That means lights out around 10pm.

8) Be patient.
Remember, the Perseids meteor shower doesn’t happen all at once. Instead, it’s like a steady, peaceful trickle of shooting stars. Settle in, get comfortable, and enjoy the show.

August 10, 2021
6 FacebookTwitterLinkedinRedditEmail
Load More Posts

Categories

  • Adventures
  • Android
  • App Comparisons
  • App Updates
  • Backcountry Skiing
  • Boating
  • Company News
  • Emergency Response
  • Featured
  • Fishing
  • Gaia GPS
  • Gaia GPS Offroad Podcast
  • GaiaCloud
  • Hikes
  • How-To
  • Hunting
  • iOS
  • New Features
  • New Maps
  • Newsletter
  • Offroading
  • Out and Back Podcast
  • Overlanding
  • User Profiles

Recent Posts

  • Battling the Wind: Setting Your Shocks to Firm Helps on Overland Drives
  • The Hike Map That Broke Me: How Gaia GPS Turned an Overlander Into a Reluctant Hiker
  • A Fond Farewell to National Geographic Maps — And a Look at What’s Ahead
  • Introducing the Gaia Hike Map: Plan Your Hike, Your Way
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • Youtube
    • RSS
    • Explore The Map
    • Get the App
    • Upgrade Today
    • Explore The Map Catalog
    • New Features
      • Gaia GPS

        The Hike Map That Broke Me: How Gaia…

        April 24, 2025

        Gaia GPS

        Introducing the Gaia Hike Map: Plan Your Hike,…

        March 18, 2025

        Gaia GPS

        Unlock a New Level of Personalization in Gaia…

        December 12, 2024

        Gaia GPS

        Goodbye Clutter, Hello Streamlined Maps: Introducing Sync to…

        November 26, 2024

        Gaia GPS

        Discover Prime Stargazing Locations with Our New Light…

        August 15, 2024

        Gaia GPS

        2023 Mapped: Our Best New Features of the…

        December 27, 2023

        Gaia GPS

        Discover Adventure Easier Than Ever with New Map…

        July 27, 2023

      • New Maps
        • Gaia GPS

          Discover Prime Stargazing Locations with Our New Light…

          August 15, 2024

          Gaia GPS

          Find Prime Viewing for Total Solar Eclipse with…

          March 27, 2024

          Gaia GPS

          See the World More Clearly with New Gaia…

          May 18, 2023

          Gaia GPS

          Gaia Classic: The Only Map You’ll Ever Need?

          May 4, 2023

          Backcountry Skiing

          Find Backcountry Skiing in Gaia Winter Map

          January 11, 2023

          Gaia GPS

          Our Favorite New Maps and Features

          December 23, 2022

          Gaia GPS

          Spy Avalanche Terrain with Higher Res Slope Angle…

          December 14, 2022

    • Activities
      • Backcountry Skiing
      • Boating
      • Emergency Response
      • Fishing
      • Offroading
    • Adventures
      • User Stories
    • Help

    @2024 - All Right Reserved. Gaia GPS


    Back To Top