Some of the first photos of the Perseid Meteor Shower during its peak on the night of 12 August have surfaced across the internet.
The pictures from around the world show spectacular cosmic light show with shooting stars and bright streaks in the night skies.
The Perseid meteor shower occurs every year from the end of July till August and is associated with comet Swift-Tuttle. The shower, which has been observed for over 2,000 years, gets its name from its location in the constellation Perseus.
The Perseid Meteor Shower 2013 reached its peak at approximately 100 bright streaks per hour during the early dark hours of 12 August and wee hours of 13 August.
For those who missed seeing the annual Perseid Meteor Shower reaching its peak, here are the photos showing shooting stars from the skies above Stonehenge, villages in UK to across the world:
A general view of Stonehenge during the peak hours of annual Perseid meteor shower in the night sky in Salisbury Plain, southern England, August 13, 2013. (Photo: REUTERS/Kieran Doherty)
The Perseid meteor shower is sparked every August when the Earth passes through a stream of space debris left by comet Swift-Tuttle. (Photo: Darren Wood/Twitter)
A shooting star is seen in the skies of Birkenshaw village in West Yorkshire on the night of 12 August, when the Perseid meteor shower reached its peak. (Photo: Michael/Twitter)
Another fantastic photograph of the Perseid meteor shower during its peak. (Photo: Laura Marie/Twitter)
This latest photo from 12 August night shows a shooting star as the Perseids reached its peak. (Photo: Ben/Twitter)
This shooting star was captured on the skies above a beach area in UK during the Perseid's peak. (Photo: Gregg Lomas Music/Twitter)
UK Meteor Network posted the pictures of a shooting star on 13 August on Twitter, saying, "Probably biggest recorded #Perseid tonight." (Photo: UK Meteor Network/Twitter)
"Here's #perseid that got away, missed end, 12.50am, see how trail is green where it hits atmosphere," said Steve Knight while posting this photo on Twitter on 13 August. (Photo: Steve Knight/Twitter)
A meteor streaks over the northern skies in the early morning during the Perseid meteor shower north of Castaic Lake, California August 12, 2013. (Photo: Reuters)
