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    Perseid meteor shower: See photos of celestial show during peak activity

    By Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY,

    3 hours ago

    The Perseids, considered among astronomers to be the best meteor shower of the year , reached peak activity Sunday night.

    Meteors whizzing across the night sky provided quite the celestial show to skygazers across the world, some of whom may have even caught of rare glimpse of the stunning northern lights at the same time .

    While the Perseid meteors are active every year from July to September, mid-August happens to be when the activity reaches its peak. If you missed the display Sunday night, fear not: The Perseid meteor shower is expected to still be at its peak Monday night as well, according to the American Meteor Society.

    In the meantime, check out these photos captured during the weekend of streaking meteors in the both U.S. and around the globe. Some are even backdropped by the famed aurora borealis .

    Perseids to peak: When and how to watch the best meteor shower of the year

    Perseid meteor shower: See photos of celestial display

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=09jeye_0uvJ9QLJ00
    The massive stone head sculptures at the archaeological site of Mount Nemrut in Adyaman, southeastern Turkey can be seen Sunday during the night of the Perseid meteor shower. The Perseid meteor shower was expected to reach peak activity between Sunday and Monday nights. Kemal Aslan/AFP via Getty Images
    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3mvmWM_0uvJ9QLJ00
    This long exposure picture shows a meteor crossing the night sky early Monday over the Post-Camaldolese monastery in the village of Wigry, Suwalki region, during the annual Perseids meteor shower. The Perseids are so popular for skygazers because they peak not in the colder months like the Leonids of November or Geminids of December, but in the warm summertime. Sergei Gapon/AFP via Getty Images
    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1kbqp9_0uvJ9QLJ00
    A meteor streaks through the night sky early Monday during the annual Perseid meteor shower behind St Mark's Tower, a 17th century coastal fortification near the village of Bahar ic-Caghaq, Malta. During the Perseids' annual peak in mid-August, up to 100 meteors can be seen streaking across the night sky per hour, leaving long wakes of light and color behind them. Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters
    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=26fzux_0uvJ9QLJ00
    Astronomers observe the northern skies early Monday during the Perseid meteor shower in Kozjak, North Macedonia.. As long as skies are relatively clear this year, a half-illuminated moon should set by around 11:30 p.m. local time, making conditions favorable for viewing the Perseids during their Aug. 11-12 peak, NASA says. Ognen Teoflovski/Reuters
    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0nh64r_0uvJ9QLJ00
    Astronomers observe the northern skies early Monday during the Perseid meteor shower in Kozjak, North Macedonia. The Perseids are best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere. Ognen Teofilovski/Reuters
    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0Fey5H_0uvJ9QLJ00
    A view of the Milky Way early Monday during the annual Perseid meteor shower above Santo Tome del Puerto, in Segovia, Spain. Originating from the constellation Perseus, the Perseids are made up of leftover particles from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. Ana Beltran/Reuters
    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3UTUS1_0uvJ9QLJ00
    Two meteors streak past stars in the night early Monday during the annual Perseid meteor shower above Santo Tome del Puerto, in Segovia, Spain. The meteor shower is also famous for the fireballs it throws out. These large explosions of light and color can persist even longer than an average meteor streak, NASA says. Ana Beltran/Reuters
    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1KwY1J_0uvJ9QLJ00
    Meteors streak past stars in the night sky early Monday during the annual Perseid meteor shower above Santo Tome del Puerto, in Segovia, Spain. Ana Beltran/Reuters

    Northern lights coincide with Perseids

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1MkO4E_0uvJ9QLJ00
    Perseid meteors appear to be streaking across the night sky early Monday in this long exposure picture showing the northern lights (aurora borealis) in Poland. Sights of the two celestial phenomena just happened to coincide this weekend. Sergei Gapon/AFP via Getty Images
    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1mxCYs_0uvJ9QLJ00
    This long exposure picture shows a Perseid meteor streaking as the northern lights (aurora borealis) illuminate the sky early Monday above the Post-Camaldolese monastery in the village of Wigry, Suwalki region of Poland. Sergei Gapon/AFP via Getty Images

    Contributing: Julia Gomez , USA TODAY

    Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com

    This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Perseid meteor shower: See photos of celestial show during peak activity

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