• 68 things to bring

What to Bring to Watch a Meteor Shower

A reclining chair, warm layers, a dim red light and a thermos, with the telescope left at home.

What to Bring to Watch a Meteor Shower

  1. Reclining lawn chairThe Meteor Society says a reclining chair lets you watch a wide sky without straining your neck.
  2. Sleeping bagOn NASA's list for a winter shower, and the Meteor Society's other pick for lying back.
  3. Blanket to lie onNASA says to lie flat on your back and take in as much of the sky as possible.
  4. Warm layersThe Meteor Society's whole kit list: warm clothing and something comfortable to sit or lie on.
  5. Dim red flashlightIf you need a light, the Meteor Society says, use a dim red one sparingly.
  6. Thermos of hot chocolateA warm cup makes the quiet stretches between meteors easier to sit through.
  7. Knit hatLying still under an open sky is colder than walking under it.
  8. Leave at home: telescopeThe Meteor Society says telescopes restrict your field of view.

Next step Pick a star to find while you waitSpace riddles for the quiet stretches

All 68 things to bring

Bring these first 8

  • Blanket to lie on NASA says to lie flat on your back and take in as much of the sky as possible.
  • Dim red flashlight If you need a light, the Meteor Society says, use a dim red one sparingly.
  • Knit hat Lying still under an open sky is colder than walking under it.
  • Leave at home: telescope The Meteor Society says telescopes restrict your field of view.
  • Reclining lawn chair The Meteor Society says a reclining chair lets you watch a wide sky without straining your neck.
  • Sleeping bag On NASA's list for a winter shower, and the Meteor Society's other pick for lying back.
  • Thermos of hot chocolate A warm cup makes the quiet stretches between meteors easier to sit through.
  • Warm layers The Meteor Society's whole kit list: warm clothing and something comfortable to sit or lie on.

To lie back on 7

  • Air mattress Room for two, if the car can carry it and you bring the pump.
  • Camping cot Flat, off the ground and easier to get up from than a blanket.
  • Camping mat Goes under the blanket, so the cold of the ground stays in the ground.
  • Ground sheet or tarp Grass is wet with dew well before dawn.
  • Pillow Your neck will ask for one by the second hour.
  • Second blanket to go over you One under, one over: the air cools fast once you stop moving.
  • Yoga mat A stand-in for a camping mat on a dry lawn.

To stay warm 8

  • Boots that can take wet grass The walk from the car is through dew.
  • Gloves Hands holding a cup or a camera are the first thing to get cold.
  • Hand warmers One in each pocket for the hours after midnight.
  • Hooded sweatshirt For an August shower: warm enough at ten, not at three.
  • Scarf or neck warmer Closes the gap a reclined collar leaves open.
  • Thermal base layer Thin, and it does the most for the least bulk under a coat.
  • Winter coat NASA's Geminids page says to come prepared for winter temperatures.
  • Wool socks Feet do no work while you lie back, so they cool first.

Light and night vision 9

  • Headlamp with a red setting Hands free for carrying chairs from the car, and easier on adapted eyes.
  • Moonrise and moonset times, written down The Meteor Society says they help you choose a darker window to watch in.
  • Phone turned to its dimmest The Meteor Society says to avoid phone screens while your eyes adjust.
  • Printed star chart Read under the red light, it saves opening an app.
  • Red film or tape for a flashlight Turns the flashlight you already own into a red one.
  • The shower's peak date, checked that day The Meteor Society calls the peak a forecast and not an exact appointment.
  • Spare batteries for the red light A dim light on a dark path is the one thing you cannot do without.
  • Towel to cover the car's inside light Opening a door for a forgotten glove lights up the whole field.
  • Watch with plain hands Tells the time without waking a screen.

Food and drink 11

  • Apple slices In a tub with a lid, since everything gets set down on the grass.
  • Cookies Something to pass along the row of chairs.
  • Granola bars Unwrapped by feel and eaten without sitting up.
  • Insulated mugs with lids A lid matters when a cup is filled and passed by feel.
  • Napkins and a trash bag Leave the field as dark and as clean as you found it.
  • Popcorn in a tub It is a show, after all.
  • Sandwiches cut small Made at home, so nothing has to be put together in the dark.
  • Thermos of soup Supper and a hand warmer in one.
  • Thermos of tea or coffee Poured in the dark more easily if the cups have lids.
  • Trail mix Eaten by the handful, with no plate and no light.
  • Water bottle Easy to forget on a cold night.

For a long watch 10

  • A friend to watch the other half of the sky Two people facing different ways miss less.
  • Compass NASA's Geminids tip is to lie flat with your feet facing south.
  • Earbuds and a downloaded playlist For the quiet stretches, kept low enough to hear the people beside you.
  • Folding stool For whoever pours the drinks and cannot do it lying down.
  • Insect repellent For a summer shower: you are the only thing in the field holding still.
  • Map of the way there, saved offline Save it before you leave, in case the signal drops on the drive out.
  • Notebook and pencil Tally each meteor: the Meteor Society says quiet spells can be followed by several close together.
  • Portable phone charger Cold drains a battery, and the phone is your way home.
  • Reflective band for the walk from the car The Meteor Society's safety note: choose a safe location and stay clear of traffic.
  • Towel to wipe the chairs Dew settles on a chair left empty for ten minutes.

To photograph it 8

  • Camera with manual controls NASA's tips are written for a DSLR or mirrorless camera.
  • Lens cloth One of NASA's own photos shows a photographer wiping moisture from the lens.
  • Sandbags for the tripod NASA's tip for adding weight against wind and footsteps.
  • Shutter release cable NASA says even pressing the shutter button can blur a long exposure.
  • Spare camera battery Hours of long exposures use more power than a day of snapshots.
  • Spare memory card A camera left shooting all night fills a card.
  • Tripod NASA says meteor photos need long exposures that no hand can hold still.
  • Wide-angle lens NASA: more sky in the frame gives a greater chance of catching a meteor.

Leave at home 7

  • Leave at home: binoculars Same reason: the Meteor Society says showers are best seen with the unaided eye.
  • Leave at home: bright white flashlight The Meteor Society says to avoid bright lights: eyes need at least 20 to 30 minutes to adjust.
  • Leave at home: camping lantern It lights the whole field, and everyone in it starts adapting again.
  • Leave at home: glow sticks and light-up toys Fun anywhere else. Here they cost everyone their night vision.
  • Leave at home: loud speaker A dark field at midnight is shared, and most people came for the quiet.
  • Leave at home: tablet or laptop A large screen is a bright light by another name.
  • Leave at home: telephoto lens NASA says it covers a small patch of sky, so the odds of a meteor crossing it are lower.

How it works

What should you bring to watch a meteor shower? Something to lie back on, warm clothes and a dim red light. These 68 things follow the viewing advice of NASA and the American Meteor Society, with our own packing notes.

Read the full guide

Comfort is the kit

Meteors can appear across a wide stretch of sky, so the job is to keep looking up. The American Meteor Society says a reclining chair or sleeping bag lets you watch a wide area without straining your neck, and to allow plenty of time: quiet periods can be followed by several meteors close together.

Keep your night vision

The Society says to give your eyes at least 20 to 30 minutes to adjust and to avoid bright lights and phone screens, since full dark adaptation takes longer. That is why every light on this list is red or dim.

  • NASA's advice for the Geminids: lie flat on your back with your feet facing south and take in as much sky as you can.
  • The Meteor Society suggests a nap before a watch, so you are still awake when the sky gets busy.

Questions and answers

Do you need a telescope to watch a meteor shower?

No. The American Meteor Society says meteor showers are best observed with the unaided eye, because binoculars and telescopes restrict your field of view and make meteors harder to catch.

What should I wear to watch a meteor shower?

Warm layers, a hat, gloves and wool socks, even in summer: you lie still for hours in the coldest part of the night. NASA's page for the December Geminids says to come prepared for winter temperatures.

What time should I go out to watch a meteor shower?

The American Meteor Society says most showers are best observed between midnight and dawn, on a night near the expected peak, when the sky is dark and clear. Moonrise and moonset times help you choose the darkest hours.

What do you need to photograph a meteor shower?

NASA's list: a camera with manual controls, a tripod, a wide-angle lens and a shutter release cable or the camera's built-in timer. It says meteor photos need long exposures, and that even pressing the shutter button can blur one.

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