This year’s Perseid meteor shower has stunned stargazers around the world, and Space.com readers grabbed their cameras to capture this cosmic phenomenon in all its splendor.
Earth passes through the debris cloud left by Comet Swift-Tuttle, which causes its annual light show. This year’s peak of meteor showers coincided with a moon that was much more lit than last year, when the full moon was significantly lower. The result this year was a lively display of shooting stars for anyone looking for them.
If you haven’t seen the Perseids yet, don’t worry. Even though we’ve passed the peak, Earth will still be floating through pockets of space dust until around August 24.
Related: Perseid 2023 meteor shower impresses star lovers around the world. See their amazing photos.
Pictured below, photographer John Turner captures Perseid against a rising crescent moon of Franklin, North Carolina, in the eastern United States.
A short night hike on August 13th to an east facing lookout point high in the mountains gave me the opportunity of a lifetime to be a part of this beauty. This was my first time with astrophotography. I will always think of the view I received as a gift from the universe that I was allowed to capture with my camera.
John Turner
In his words, “Facing north/northeast, the rising red moon gave solar evidence that the sunrise was not far off. My excitement with the shutter release captured 6 or 7 Perseid streaks moving in various directions within the background of the field of twinkling stars in a picture One six seconds of exposure.
Turning his camera to the east/southeast, Turner also managed to catch this shooting star over the mountain ridge.
According to photographer Michele Ausiello, who shot this boat near Glen Haven, Michigan on Aug. 12, the name of this photo is “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.” The boat stands beside some trees, with a bright green and white streak of meteors falling in the sky above.
Osello also pointed her camera at a barn in Glen Haven, capturing meteor streaks above the dimly lit white building.
Another, from the same barn, highlights the gorgeous Milky Way against a starry night sky.
John Birch captured this stunning view of the Milky Way on August 12, north of Truckee, in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. He says, “There is always a sense of awe when you can watch meteors streak across the sky and see the Milky Way. We were lucky this year with the moon rising early in the morning so the sky was dark enough to enjoy the show. Love spending a few hours under the stars and getting away from the city lights “.
Capturing the beauty of the stars in another part of the world, Fotis Mavroudakis captured this photo on August 13, from the Dramatic Mountains, in northern Greece.
“I devoted several hours to capturing the celestial scene,” Mavrodakis told Space-Profound.org.
“Clear night conditions allowed me to create an image that not only highlights the meteor’s brilliance, but also shows the majesty of the universe. The vibrant meteor trail and the serene expanse of the night sky combine to create a sense of wonder and magic.”
The memoir from photographer Nick Burris took a little more dedication on his part. As Burris told Space.com, “I spent 24 hours awake photographing over 70 meteors and building this composite of 45 meteors collected Saturday night.” [August 12] in the morning “.
Another from Boris shows a total of 45 meteors falling through the sky, in a boat he made with a piece of driftwood in the foreground.
This photo, taken far from his previous photos, shows Boris standing next to his campfire, gazing up over the trees at the streaks of shooting stars in the sky.
The Paul and Jane Meyer Observatory in Clifton, Texas, was the perfect place for photographer Melanie Elish to mount her tripod.
“I watched a meteor shower while I was lying on a blanket,” she told Space-Profound.org. “When it broke, I was in awe of the experience.. like experiencing something so special that not a lot of people realize it. You realize we’re a small part of an incredible world.”
By placing the observatory in the frame, Eilish was able to capture another meteor, and maybe something extra as well.
“I believe [this photo] Hartley’s comet also appears next to the meteor.
The Perseids will be around until around the end of the third week in August. So, there is still plenty of time to get out and take your own photos of the meteor shower. Check out Space.com’s best cameras for astrophotography and how to photograph a meteor shower guide for some tips and advice.