37 incredible images of the Perseid meteor shower
The Annual Perseid Shower brings with it some magnificent night sky photography
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Thousands of people across the world have been captivated by the inspiring Perseid shower display.
Peaking over Wednesday and Thursday night, the shower coincided with a new moon, creating the best conditions to see the annual event since 2007. More than 100 per hour were produced – and photographed – over the UK.
British residents also had an extra treat as the International Space Station (ISS) passed over the UK at around 10.30pm on Wednesday when the shower was at its brightest.
Robin Scagell, vice-president of the Society for Popular Astronomy, said the display was “usually fairly bright.”
“Also, they tend to leave a trail, or train, behind them. You can see the train hanging there glowing in the sky for a few seconds - sometimes for several minutes - after the meteor has gone," he added.
The Perseids are broken off parts of the Comet Swift-Tuttle, active every year from approximately 17 July to 24 August, although for most of that period only a few comets are visible.
Additional reporting by Press Association
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments