Rare Perseid meteor shower and northern lights display excites stargazers worldwide (photos, videos) (2024)

In a breathtaking display of nature's beauty, skywatchers worldwide witnessed a rare natural event: the Perseid meteor shower coinciding with the northern lights.

The Perseid meteor shower peak was anticipated, as it occurs annually when Earth passes through debris —small bits of ice and rock — left by Comet Swift-Tuttle, which last approached Earth in 1992. However, the appearance of simultaneous auroras was unexpected.

While forecasters had predicted some geomagnetic activity over the weekend, prompting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center to issue a geomagnetic storm watch for Aug. 9 through Aug. 11, space weather can be unpredictable, and auroras only occur under just the right conditions.

Missed out?

If you missed the Perseid's peak, don't worry — the Perseid meteor shower continues until around Aug. 24. While the number of visible meteors per hour will be lower than at its peak, there are still opportunities to catch a glimpse.

However, everything fell into place over the weekend. While some lucky stargazers managed to see fleeting glimpses of Perseid meteors, others witnessed the dancing northern lights and some were even lucky enough to witness the two at once! This unique overlap allowed photographers to capture truly remarkable images.

Here, we take a look at some of the best.

Mike Wickersham caught a colorful Perseid meteor giving the colorful aurora a run for its money in the skies above Lincoln City, Oregon, U.S.

"Perseids and aurora on display tonight, Lincoln City, OR!" Wickersham wrote in a post on X.

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Rare Perseid meteor shower and northern lights display excites stargazers worldwide (photos, videos) (1)

In the U.K., Andrew Hawkes was treated to a beautiful display of the Perseid meteor shower and a spontaneous eruption of northern lights on the outskirts of Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

"I was out photographing the Perseids meteor shower with a friend when I saw some light illuminating behind the tree. I thought this was artificial lighting at first, and then when I looked back on the camera, I could see the aurora," Hawkes told Space.com in an email.

Hawkes certainly found himself in the right place at exactly the right time.

"I moved the camera to frame the aurora better and I said to my friend, 'All we need now is a meteor,' and, on cue, the one in the photo flashed across the frame."

Hawkes also captured an impressive timelapse of the aurora and Perseids. That's the video playing at the beginning of this article.

Rare Perseid meteor shower and northern lights display excites stargazers worldwide (photos, videos) (2)

Greg Gage took a whopping 933 images of the auroras and Perseid meteors lighting up the skies over Sistersville, West Virginia, U.S.

Gage then constructed an impressive timelapse of the night of Aug. 11/12 which can be seen in the video at the top of the article, it covers approximately 6 hours from 10 p.m. until 4 a.m.

"It's not often that I pull an all-nighter, but this night was worth it," Gage told Space.com in an email.

Below is a still image from the video showing a Perseid meteor streaking through an aurora-saturated sky.

"This is my best meteor shot from the Perseid meteor shower", Gage continued.

Rare Perseid meteor shower and northern lights display excites stargazers worldwide (photos, videos) (3)

For those without views of the northern lights, the Perseids still put on a breathtaking display.

Photographer Josh Dury captured an absolutely breathtaking view of the Perseid meteor shower above Stonehenge, U.K.

The image below is composed of 43 sub-images of the meteors taken over three and a half hours.

"Celestial fireworks baring the connection through time. The ancient debris of Comet Swift-Tuttle; formed at the early dawn of our Solar System. Observed from the ancient palace — chartering the movements of heavenly bodies. A pertinent narrative through senseless time and mystery." Dury told Space.com in an email.

Dury's image is also displayed as NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day!

Rare Perseid meteor shower and northern lights display excites stargazers worldwide (photos, videos) (4)

Photographer Riste Spiroski, from Macedonia, captured a stunning photograph of a single Perseid meteor streaking through the sky above Lake Ohrid, one of Europe's deepest and oldest lakes. The glow of wildfires is visible in the distant mountains.

"We spent about two hours planning this shot and were lucky to catch it while enjoying the Perseid meteor shower, seeing over 10 bright meteors in less than an hour," Spiroski told Space.com in an email.

Rare Perseid meteor shower and northern lights display excites stargazers worldwide (photos, videos) (5)

Below, a Perseid meteor streaks through the sky above the archaeological site of Mount Nemrut in Adyaman, southeastern Turkey on Aug. 11, 2024, in this image captured by photographer Kemal Aslan.

Rare Perseid meteor shower and northern lights display excites stargazers worldwide (photos, videos) (6)

Below is another image of the Perseid meteor shower over Mount Nemrut, Turkey, this time captured by photographer Murat Sengul.

The Mount Nemrut ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lying about 7,053 feet (2,150 meters) above sea level.

Rare Perseid meteor shower and northern lights display excites stargazers worldwide (photos, videos) (7)

Meanwhile, in Poland, a long streaking Perseid meteor shines brightly above the Post-Camaldolese monastery in the village of Wigry, Suwalki region.

This image from Sergei Gapon was captured early on Aug. 12, 2024.

Rare Perseid meteor shower and northern lights display excites stargazers worldwide (photos, videos) (8)

And for some who didn't catch a glimpse of any Perseids, a dazzlingly vibrant northern lights display more than made up for it.Darlene Tanner witnessed what is known as an auroral corona, where the aurora rays create a crown-like shape overhead.

"It felt surreal being under these looking straight up," Tanner told Space.com in an email.

These scenes played out in the skies near Bashaw, Alberta, Canada.

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Rare Perseid meteor shower and northern lights display excites stargazers worldwide (photos, videos) (12)

Daisy Dobrijevic

Reference Editor

Daisy Dobrijevic joined Space.com in February 2022 having previously worked for our sister publication All About Space magazine as a staff writer. Before joining us, Daisy completed an editorial internship with the BBC Sky at Night Magazine and worked at the National Space Centre in Leicester, U.K., where she enjoyed communicating space science to the public. In 2021, Daisy completed a PhD in plant physiology and also holds a Master's in Environmental Science, she is currently based in Nottingham, U.K. Daisy is passionate about all things space, with a penchant for solar activity and space weather. She has a strong interest in astrotourism and loves nothing more than a good northern lights chase!

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    Rare Perseid meteor shower and northern lights display excites stargazers worldwide (photos, videos) (2024)

    FAQs

    What is the best time for a meteor shower tonight? ›

    For the best view, NASA recommends watching during the "dark hours" of the day, which in the UK will be from around midnight to 2am.

    Where do I look to see the Perseid meteor shower? ›

    According to NASA, the Perseids are best viewed from the Northern Hemisphere between midnight and dawn, or after the moon sets. Find the darkest sky possible, away from city lights or other sources of light pollution, and allow 45 minutes for your eyes to adjust.

    How rare is the Perseid meteor shower? ›

    The Perseids are one of the most plentiful showers with about 50 to 100 meteors seen per hour.

    How to photograph the Perseids meteor shower? ›

    Use a wide-angle lens.

    A wide-angle lens will capture more of the sky and give you a greater chance of capturing a meteor in your shot, while a telephoto lens captures a smaller area of the sky. The odds of a meteor streaking past that small patch are lower.

    What direction in the sky should I look for the meteor shower tonight? ›

    The space agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory suggested facing roughly northeast as you lay down, but to try to take in as much of the sky as possible because meteors can appear all over.

    What time of night should I watch the Perseid meteor shower? ›

    The best time to view the Perseids will be past Midnight and it will become more pronounced as the sky darkens, according to NASA. Additionally, those viewing the shower in remote locations, away from city lights, will have the best chance at a clear view, NASA says.

    What is the rarest type of meteor? ›

    Of the three main types of meteorites, stony-irons are far and away the most rare. Of Victoria's 17 known meteorites, just one falls into this group.

    What part of the sky is best to see the Perseid meteor shower? ›

    You need a clear sky with minimal clouds and few overhead obstructions. A hilltop or open field with unobstructed views toward the northwest sky is ideal. The less light pollution, the greater the odds of seeing that strong 50 to 100 meteors per hour rate.

    Can you see Perseids with naked eye? ›

    There is another reason to watch the skies this week. Jupiter and Mars will be near each other as they rise in the eastern sky around 2 a.m. Wednesday morning. Like the Perseids, we will be able to see this with the naked eye.

    Where to point a camera for Perseids? ›

    The Perseids are characterized by their radiant location in the northeastern sky, near the constellation Perseus, during their peak. This radiant rises in the late evening, reaches its highest point around dawn, and is visible from both hemispheres.

    How to capture a meteor shower on a phone? ›

    On iOS you can use Slow Shutter Cam or Average Camera Pro. For Android, Camera FV-5 Lite or Night Camera are great options. These apps take multiple photos in a short time span to recreate the effect of a long exposure. Just because it's dark outside, doesn't mean you should use the flash.

    What time do you catch meteor shower? ›

    The best conditions for catching a meteor shower are a clear sky with no moon or cloud cover, at sometime between midnight and sunrise. (Moonlight affects visibility in the same way as light pollution, washing out fainter sources of light in the sky.)

    What is the best time to see the Orionid meteor shower? ›

    Orionid meteor shower peaks during a waning gibbous moon

    As for most meteor showers, the hours between midnight and dawn are best for the Orionids. A waning gibbous will be shining brightly during the peak times of the Orionids in 2024.

    When can I see the Lyrid meteor shower? ›

    April Meteor Shower

    The Lyrid Meteor Shower is usually active between April 16 and 25 every year.

    Can you see meteor shower at 10pm? ›

    The best time to catch the Perseids is in the pre-dawn hours, according to NASA, but it is possible to view meteors from this shower as early as 10 p.m. NASA notes that the Moon will set right as the Perseids start to peak.

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