Stargazers had the best of both worlds over the weekend — and the photos are breathtaking.
On Sunday, Aug. 11, the rare Perseid meteor shower reached its peak, while many stargazers also got a glimpse of the latest northern lights display, making for quite the viewing, according to USA Today.
The Northern hemisphere in the pre-dawn hours was the ideal viewing location to see the Perseid meteor shower, but NASA said that it was also possible to see the meteors beginning as early as 10 p.m. local time, according to CBS News.
And the photos taken of the night sky across the globe, from New York and Texas in the United States, all the way to Spain and Turkey, were gorgeous.
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According to NASA, the Perseids is “the best meteor shower of the year” due to its beautiful appearance and bountiful display in the night sky.
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Another feature of the shower? They’re known to leave long “wakes” of light and color in their trail as they streak across the atmosphere.
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While spotting a shooting star is often rare, the Perseids are an exciting meteor shower due to the ample opportunities they give stargazers to spot one (or a few) as they whiz through the cosmos.
And in clear viewing conditions, approximately 50 to 100 meteors can be seen per hour.
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If you missed out on Aug. 11 and Aug. 12, there’s a chance to catch some straggling stars on Aug. 13 — however, the space organization noted the Perseids, which are active through Sept. 1, “tend to fall off rapidly after their peak.”
The next meteor shower to peak after the Perseids are the Orionids. They peak between Oct. 20 and Oct. 21, though they are active from Sept. 26 through Nov. 22, 2024.
