Just want to extend that encouragement to anyone with a friend or two in close proximity, speaking as a single, no kiddos. You'd be surprised how many people y

Just want to extend that encouragement to anyone with a friend or two in close proximity, speaking as a single, no kiddos. You'd be surprised how many people you run into who have never seen the milky way with their naked eyes (or have completely forgotten that you see the same exact thing as in astronomy photos that you'd swear are definitely-probably digitally altered). Living in a city buried in light pollution, it's always a treat to see the same facial expressions of amazement and wonder out of adults as you'd get from kids when I bring whatever nearby friends and a couple beers for a late night meteor gazing session during the Perseids, just an hour's drive out of town. Of course, despite living where light pollution maps mark as a red/white zone (Sacramento, CA), we are fortunate enough to live so close to a blue zone (halfway between town and Lake Tahoe). For best viewing, one wants to plan for clear skies and time of night during moonset and/or near the new moon. As for Perseids, unfortunately the last few seasons have been a bust for me due to California's record-breaking wildfire seasons completely drowning out the sky.