Perseid meteor shower in pictures - how annual event peaked around the world

The Perseid meteor shower has been active since last month and runs to 24 August, but went into overdrive from Saturday night into Sunday morning with up to 100 shooting stars per hour.

Aug 14, 2023 - 14:10
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Stargazers were treated to the peak of the annual summer Perseid meteor shower over the weekend.

 

Bright meteors lit up the night sky around the world, caused by debris from comet Swift-Tuttle slamming into Earth's atmosphere at 130,000mph.

 

Parts of the UK were let down by the weather, though, as cloudy conditions spoiled the view.

 

Sky News has assembled some of the best photos for those who missed out, showing how the fireballs streaked through the sky from Austria to Argentina.

A long exposure photo shows meteor streaks crossing the night sky over the stone dolls in Kuklica, Republic of North Macedonia, 13 August 2023. The Perseid meteor shower occurs every year in August when the Earth passes through debris and dust of the Swift-Tuttle comet.
A meteor streaks during the Perseid meteor shower in the night sky over the village of Kuklici, known for its hundreds of naturally formed stones which resemble human beings, near Kratovo, North Macedonia August 13, 2023.REUTERS/Ognen Teofilovski
Image:Kuklica, North Macedonia, known for its hundreds of naturally formed stones resembling humans
People visit the Phrygian Valley in Afyonkarahisar, 250 km south-west of Ankara, to watch the Perseid meteor shower, Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
Image:The Phrygian Valley in Afyonkarahisar, southwest of Ankara, Turkey
13 August 2023, Schleswig-Holstein, Neum'nster: A Perseid meteor moves across the sky around 04:00 CEST in Neum'nster (district Tungendorf). From 23 o'clock the sky had cleared over large parts of Schleswig-Holstein and showed a magnificent starry sky. Photo by: Marco A. Ludwig/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images
Image:Schleswig-Holstein in Germany
12 August 2023, Egypt, Faiyum: A Picture taken on 12 August shows the Perseid meteor shower over the natural reserve area of Wadi Al-Hitan (Valley of the Whales) at the desert of Al Fayoum Governorate. Photo by: Gehad Hamdy/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images
Image:The natural reserve of Wadi al Hitan in Egypt
People watch as meteor streaks in the night sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower in the Siberian town of Yeniseysk in the Krasnoyarsk Region, Russia August 12, 2023. REUTERS/Alexey Malgavko
Image:Yeniseysk in the Krasnoyarsk region of Siberia
A view of meteor streaks in the night sky during annual Perseid meteor shower at Shebenik National Park, in Fushe Stude, Albania, August 13, 2023. REUTERS/Florion Goga REFILE - QUALITY REPEAT DUE TO TECHNICAL ISSUE
A view of meteor streaks in the night sky during annual Perseid meteor shower at Shebenik National Park, in Fushe Stude, Albania, August 13, 2023. REUTERS/Florion Goga REFILE - QUALITY REPEAT DUE TO TECHNICAL ISSUE
Image:Shebenik National Park in Fushe Stude, Albania
A view of meteors streaking in the night sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower at Sophienalpe near Vienna, Austria August 14, 2023. REUTERS/Julia Geiter
Image:Sophienalpe near Vienna, Austria
People watch as meteor streaks in the night sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower on the island of Lastovo, Croatia August 12, 2023. REUTERS/Antonio Bronic
Image:The island of Lastovo, Croatia
A long exposure shows star trails behind the Lopez Mountain during the annual Perseid meteor shower period near the town of Bariloche, at the Patagonia Region, Argentina, August 11, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Barria TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Image:A long exposure shows star trails behind Lopez Mountain in Argentina's Patagonia region
A meteor streaks in the night sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower in Ronda, Spain August 12, 2023. REUTERS/Jon Nazca
Image:Ronda, Spain