The best photos from the 2018 Perseids meteor shower

Capturing a meteor shower takes serious photographic skill, but the results are worth the effort.
Meteor shower from Pierre-Percee lake area in France
A meteor crosses the night sky next to the milky way, early August 12, 2018 in Pierre-Percee lake area, eastern France, during the annual Perseid meteor shower . PATRICK HERTZOG/AFP/Getty Images

This story was originally published on PopPhoto.com.

The annual Perseids meteor shower reached its peak over the weekend providing stargazers and astro photographers with a spectacular show. Thanks to the waxing crescent moon, dark skies created ideal conditions for meteor viewing and shooting.

During today’s early morning hours observers could see approximately 60-70 meteors per hour. Unlike the eclipse earlier this year, the spectacular show was visible on both sides of the equator. The dark skies made this year’s shower one of the brightest ever.

The star show will continue through August 24, although the number of visible shooting stars will diminish. You don’t need a telescope to see the showers, but you should try to head somewhere rural with minimal light pollution for ideal viewing and shooting conditions. The next large meteor shower is the Orionids, which is expected to peak on October 21.

Here are some of our favorite images captured over the weekend during this celestial event.

The Annual Perseid Meteor Shower over Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah
Meteor Shower over Spruce Knob, West Virginia at night
A shooting star appears next to the Milky Way in the sky above Walchensee lake
meteor falling over Sankt Coloman church in Germany at night
Perseid meteor shower at the east dam of the High Island Reservoir in Hong Kong
Perseid meteors streaks across the sky in Turkey
2018 Perseid meteor shower over Klinovka village
Meteor shower over the night sky with a stork sitting in its nest
Meteor shower over the night sky past the Milky Way
Seven Magic Mountains art installation during Perseid Meteor Shower

This story was originally published on PopPhoto.com.