Perseid meteors streak across the sky over Inegol district of Bursa, Turkey on August 12, 2015. Photo by Saban Kilicci/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
The annual Perseid meteor shower lit up the sky Wednesday night even brighter than previous years since 2007, with “no moonlight to upstage the power,” according to NASA.
The Perseid meteor shower and coinciding new moon are giving star gazers a spectacular show this week.
A Perseid meteor streaks across the sky above desert pine trees on Aug. 13, 2015, in the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, Nevada. Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images
NASA recommends observing the Perseids run across the dark sky during the peak days of Aug. 12-13, with the meteor count estimating to be up to 100 per hour. The meteors were shooting from constellation Perseus, named after the Greek mythological hero known for beheading the Gorgon Medusa and saved Andromeda from sea monster Cetus.
A meteor streaks across the sky during the Perseid meteor shower near Kraljevine on mountain Smetovi Aug. 12, 2015. Photo by Dado Ruvic/Reuters
According to NASA, the Perseids are associated with the comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun once every 133 years. The meteor shower happens when the Earth passes a cloud of the comet’s orbital debris field, which consists of ice and dust, and burn up in Earth’s atmosphere. In other words, they are debris that have traveled for billions of years, coming to a spectacular end.
Even though the peak of the meteor shower was Wednesday night — Thursday morning — there will still be a few Thursday night as well. Thursday evening’s shower expected to peak at 4 a.m. EDT Friday morning.
A meteor streaks across the sky during the Perseid meteor shower near Kraljevine on mountain Smetovi Aug. 12, 2015. Photo by Dado Ruvic/Reuters
A meteor streaks across the sky during the Perseid meteor shower near Wendover, southern England, Aug. 13, 2015. Photo by Eddie Keogh/Reuters
A stargazer waits for light clouds to clear to watch the Perseid meteor shower to begin near Bobcaygeon, Ontario, Aug. 12, 2015. Photo by Fred Thornhill/Reuters
Meteor streaks across the sky in the early morning during the Perseid meteor shower in Ramon Carter near the town of Mitzpe Ramon, southern Israel, Aug. 13, 2015. Photo by Amir Cohen/Reuters
A meteor, top left, speeds past windmills at the San Gregornio Pass Wind Farm near Whitewater, California, Aug. 13, 2015. Photo by Sam Mircovich/Reuters
Meteors streak across the sky over a Roman theatre in the ruins of Acinipo, during the Perseid meteor shower near Ronda, southern Spain, in the early morning of Aug. 13, 2015. Photo by Jon Nazca/Reuters
The night sky is shown during the Perseid meteor shower in Ramona, California, Aug. 13, 2015. Photo by Mike Blake/Reuters
A meteor streaks across the sky over Leeberg hill during the Perseid meteor shower near Grossmugl in the early morning of Aug. 13, 2015. Photo by Peter Bader/Reuters
A meteor streaks across the sky during the Perseid meteor shower near Wendover, southern England, August 13, 2015. The annual Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak on Aug. 12 and 13 in Europe, according to NASA. Photo by Eddie Keogh/Reuters
A meteor streaks across the sky during the Perseid meteor shower on Rogla, Slovenia, early Aug. 13, 2015. Photo by Srdjan Zivulovic/Reuters
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