Map Shows Best States For Spotting Meteors, Asteroids
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A recent study by U.S. sports betting media company The Action Network has analyzed which parts of the country present the best opportunities for stargazers hoping to spot an asteroid.
How It Was Calculated
The Action Network said it developed a scoring system to estimate where in the U.S. viewers were most likely to witness a fireball or asteroid event, using four weighted factors. The most significant was dark-sky quality (40 percent), assessed using Bortle Scale data, which measures sky darkness on a scale from one to nine, with one indicating the darkest skies possible. States with the darkest skies received higher scores.
Average elevation contributed 25 percent to the score, as higher altitudes offer thinner air and less atmospheric interference—ideal conditions for celestial visibility, the study said. It also factored in fireball sightings reported in 2025 (20 percent) using data from the American Meteor Society, operating on the assumption that past activity is a good indicator of future events.
The final factor was the number of astronomical observatories in each state (15 percent), counted via Go-Astronomy.com. More observatories suggest greater public engagement and infrastructure for skywatching, The Action Network said.
What To Know
California ranked first in the U.S. for asteroid spotting potential. It boasts the highest possible darkness score, with seven Bortle 1 sites and 32 Bortle 2 sites—making it ideal for clear, dark-sky viewing, according to the report.
With an average elevation of 2,900 feet, 49 fireball reports in 2025 (among the nation's highest), and 45 observatories across the state, California combines optimal viewing conditions with a strong network of observational resources.
Colorado ranked second in the study, thanks to its high elevation and dark skies. The state had an average elevation of 6,800 feet—the highest among the top 10 states—as well as two Bortle 1 sites, 17 Bortle 2 sites, and 28 fireball reports so far this year, The Action Network said.
Oregon also ranked highly for asteroid spotting thanks to its low light pollution and distribution of dark-sky areas.
The Beaver State features seven Bortle 1 sites and 25 Bortle 2 locations, an average elevation of 3,300 feet, 22 fireball reports in 2025, and four observatories, according to the study.
What People Are Saying
A spokesperson for The Action Network told Newsweek: "Delaware and New Jersey ranked lowest in our study primarily due to widespread light pollution and low average elevation, both of which limit night-sky visibility. While both states recorded a handful of fireball reports in 2025, actually spotting these events with the naked eye is much harder given the lack of truly dark, elevated vantage points."
"Neither state has any Bortle 1 or 2 zones, the gold standard for stargazing, whereas higher-ranked states like New Mexico sit at an average elevation of 5,700 feet. At higher altitudes, there's less atmospheric moisture and dust, which means clearer, crisper skies for observing meteors, fireballs, and other cosmic activity. That natural clarity gives elevated states a big advantage when it comes to asteroid spotting."
What Happens Next
For those eager to witness another spectacular aerial event—the northern lights—the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) regularly provides forecasts indicating where the phenomenon is most likely to be visible.
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