In pictures: Perseid meteor shower lights up skies

The annual Perseid meteor shower has lit up skies across the world to the delight of those hoping to catch a glimpse of a shooting star.

The phenomenon brings up to 100 meteors an hour, as the Earth slams into the debris left behind from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle.

As the debris hits the Earth’s atmosphere it burns up, resulting in the bright flashes known as shooting stars, which can be seen with the naked eye.

The natural display happens at a similar time in July and August each year, and this year peaked between Saturday night and the early hours of Sunday.

The meteors – which can be as small as a grain of sand or as big as a pea – hit the Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of 134,000 mph (215,000 km/h). The blazing debris does not pose any danger to us on Earth.

It is considered one of the best astronomical events because it produces bright meteors and is one of the most active.

This year, Nasa’s All Sky Fireball Network, which observes meteors using a network of cameras, detected the first Perseid meteor on 26 July.

It is called a “Perseid” meteor shower because the meteors appear to originate from the constellation of Perseus – named after a figure from Greek mythology.

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