Photos: The spectacular Perseid meteor showers that most of us missed last night
A meteor flashes across the night sky on Aug. 12, Corfe Castle, UK.
Image: Dan Kitwood/Getty
By
Johnny Simon
We may earn a commission from links on this page.
Meteor showers lit up night skies across the world early this morning, Aug. 12.
An annual celestial treat, the Perseid meteors are formed when the Earth passes through a debris trail of the Swift-Tuttle comet. Unfortunately for many, light pollution and cloud cover on Earth can make it hard to see anything whizzing through the stars. But for those who managed to leave cities behind for clearer skies, last night was one of the year’s best natural light shows.
More meteors may also be seen on Aug. 12 and 13.
The Perseid meteor shower above a roadside silhouette of a Spanish fighting bull, in Reduena, Spain on Aug. 12Image: AP/Daniel Ochoa de Olza
A view from Mitzpe Ramon, southern Israel on Aug. 12, 2016.Image: Reuters/Amir Cohen
A view from Mitzpe Ramon, southern Israel on Aug. 12, 2016.Image: Reuters/Amir Cohen
A meteor streaks past stars in the night sky above medieval tombstones in Radmilje near Stolac, south of Sarajevo on Aug. 12.Image: Reuters/Dado Ruvic
A view of the Perseid meteor shower near the Guadarrama mountains, near Madrid, on Aug. 12Image: AP Photo/Francisco Seco
The view from near Poznan Poland on Aug. 11.Image: EPA/Lukasz Ogrodowczyc
The sky above Fuerteventura Island southwest Spain on Aug. 12.Image: EPA/Carlos De Saa
A 30 second exposure of meteor streaks across the sky in Spruce Knob, West Virginia on Aug. 12.Image: Bill Ingalls/NASA/EPA
📬 Sign up for the Daily Brief
Our free, fast, and fun briefing on the global economy, delivered every weekday morning.