Spectacular Shooting Stars Fly Through The Sky During Perseid Meteor Shower

No doubt some of you witnessed the stunning natural display caused by the Perseid meteor shower last night.

Reaching its peak visibility this weekend, a number of eager stargazers were dazzled by last night's (11 August) astronomical show, where a number of beautiful shooting stars and green lights lit up the sky.

With the best spots to witness the shooting stars being in Europe, particularly mountainous regions without any light pollution, it's no surprise the stunning footage was captured in the Swiss Alps in Valais Canton.

As you can see from the video, green lights shoot across a star-filled sky in a truly awe-inspiring display.

The Perseid meteor shower, considered to be the best astronomical event of the year, happens when the Earth orbits through the trail of debris left by the Swift-Tuttle Comet.

Tiny pieces of debris that are around the size of sand grains hit the earth's atmosphere at around 132,000 miles per hour, causing a fantastical meteor shower each year.

The Perseids fall from 17 July to 24 August, but this is the best weekend to catch them. And if you thought the video above looked beautiful, you'll be pleased to know that the meteor shower will hit peak visibility tonight (12 August).

As Dr. Bill Cooke from NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office noted, this year is a solid one for spectators due to diminished moonlight: Or as he put it: "We won't have any moon messing it up.

"The moon will be setting early so there won't be much moonlight that will be interfering at night. Peak rates will be just before dawn."

Cooke went on to describe how viewers can expect to see a meteor every minute or so, which is about standard for the Perseids shower.

via GIPHY

The best way to catch the shower is by travelling out of the city (if you aren't already) to a quiet spot not affected by light pollution. The darker, the better basically.

If you're lucky enough to reside in a hilly or mountainous region, you're all set for the best views - so find yourself a nice spot and enjoy the show.

As Cooke concluded: "As long as you have clear skies and you're away from the city, you should have a good show."

Featured Image Credit: Newsflare

Topics: Shower

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Daisy is a UK-based freelance journalist with too many opinions. She loves everything film and music-related and has a track record writing for Little White Lies, BWRC, and Film Daily. Contact her at [email protected]