Every summer, bright lights seem to shoot out of the constellation named for Greek hero Perseus. And while falling space rocks might not sound as epic as slaying a legendary monster, the colorful shimmering light of this annual meteor shower is still quite a sight to behold. This year, the show started in mid-July and will last until the beginning of September, but just this weekend marked the peak of the season. The waning crescent moon allows the meteors to truly glow against a dark night-to-early-morning sky, when skywatchers have noted seeing up to 90 meteors shoot across the stars every hour.
If you missed this year’s peak, luckily the shower still looks great in photographs. Take a look at some of our favorites, and set a pre-dawn alarm if you want to try to catch the Perseids before they vanish in the fall.