In my quest for pregnancy friendly date nights, we spent time stargazing over the weekend. Our timing was perfect, as it was the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. Stargazing sounds cheesy, but I have to admit there’s an undeniable romance factor when laying in the dark under the stars. Stargazing is a great pregnancy date, especially if you’re short on time; a half hour of looking at the sky does wonders for your mood and gives you a quiet chunk of time to connect with your partner.

Like other pregnancy dates, this one adapts well to a family activity. As summer draws to a close, and it gets darker earlier, stargazing is a cheap, educational, and potential awe-inspiring kid-friendly experience.

Here’s how to ensure a successful stargazing date night or family outing:

  • The darker the better. We live in a suburban development with lots of street and house lights, so we drove a couple miles down the road to a deserted nature preserve with a gravel parking lot and no light pollution.  You might have to travel a little further to find a dark corner if you live in an urban area, but even New York City stargazers can make it work in places like the deserted Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, and Carl Schurz Park on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
  • Timing. If possible, time your outing around a major astronomical event. The Perseid meteor shower peaked over the weekend, but you’ll still see some tonight. You’ll also get the best view of the night sky when there’s only a sliver of moonlight and no clouds.
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  • Bring a blanket. If you don’t want a huge neck cramp, you’ll want to bring something to lie on – a wet butt is not a fun distraction.
  • Bring dessert. In my book, pregnancy is the perfect excuse to eat dessert, and it adds another element of specialness to the date. We opted for fancy chocolates we’d picked up earlier in the day, but ice cream cones or cupcakes or whatever work just as well.
  • Bring a stargazing app or glow in the dark book. I like to know what I’m looking at, and although Mr. Tricycle and I can find the Big Dipper, North Star, and Orion, we need help with anything more complicated. My favorite iPhone app is Starwalk ($2.99 in the iTunes store). It allows you to point your phone at any place in the sky, and the app tells you what constellations you’re looking at. You can also type something in, like “Jupiter,” and the app uses arrows on your screen to help you find it in the sky. Additionally, the app can help with timing your outing, as a calendar is provided that includes information on peak viewing days  for different astrological events. If you’re looking for a basic book to take with you, and you’ve got little kids, Thompson’s Glow-in-the-Dark Constellations ($8.99 from Amazon) is a great resource. It devotes a page to each of the major constellations, so after learning about them at home, you can take the book with you and see how many you can spot in the night sky.

Did you watch the Perseid meteor shower over the weekend? Have you spent time looking at the stars with your significant other or family?