Perseid meteor shower in photos: Best images as shooting star show set to peak tonight

(Getty Images)

The world is being treated to the Perseid meteor shower, perhaps the highlight of the night sky’s calendar.

The shower leads to regular and bright meteors streaking across the sky, and arrives in August. This year, the peak will happen on the night of 12 August and into the following morning – though it should be visible shortly after that, too.

It happens as the Earth travels through debris left behind by the comet Swift-Tuttle. As those nuggets of comet collide with the Earth’s atmosphere, they spark into bright lights that appear to fall through the sky.

The name comes from the Perseus constellation from which they appear to radiate. But they can be spotted anywhere in the sky, and all through the night.

You can find the best time to see the meteor showeras well as the best place to look out for it onThe Independent. You can also find everything you might want to know about the spectacle here.

If you do miss them, however, here are some of the best pictures of the Perseid meteor shower in 2021.

(Getty Images)

(NASA via Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

(NASA via Getty Images)