Shooting Stars

August 12, 2014

Destination: Las Virgenes Open Space Preserve

Cost: Gas only

Where do you go to watch a meteor shower in LA? I’ve been spoiled by living in the Eastern Sierra, where the night skies are inky and the Milky Way is a sparkly swath of stars. With the annual Perseid Meteor Shower peaking, I was disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy it like I did in the mountains.

While entering Las Virgenes Canyon to hike a few weeks ago, I spotted a flyer at the trailhead kiosk announcing a Meteor Shower Party at the eastern end of the Las Virgenes Open Space Preserve. It seemed like a great way to escape city lights and enjoy the night sky.

My friend, Sarah, joined me as we made the short drive to the west end of Victory Blvd. in West Hills and headed into the Preserve. This nighttime “walk and talk” was hosted by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority. At 8:00 p.m. an assorted group gathered: singles, couples and families. Our cheerful guide walked us through our solar system by measured paces as we headed up the trail. This helped clarify how far the distant planets are from our inner circle of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.

When we arrived on a hilltop, the view was spectacular, but unfortunately overlooked the San Fernando Valley with its miles of glaring illumination. In spite of this, the group collectively saw six or seven shooting stars and a beautiful waning gibbous moonrise. Naturalists from MRCA had set up telescopes on the plateau, trained on Saturn. They also pointed out constellations and told tales from mythology about the heavens.

It was a beautiful warm night and we spread out blankets on the hard dirt to lie down and take it all in. While the shooting stars couldn't match the display in the remote Sierra, MRCA provided a great opportunity to enjoy the Southern California night sky and learn a few things in the process.