Explanation: The Perseid meteor shower was especially impressive this year. One reason was the favorable moon phase. With less moonlight brightening the night sky, observers were able to see more meteors than usual.
Where was the Moon during the peak of the Perseid meteor shower? It was preparing to pass in front of the Sun. Near the shower’s peak, the Moon created a total solar eclipse visible from Greenland and Spain.
The Perseid meteor shower occurs when Earth passes through a stream of dust and debris orbiting the Sun left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle. Although individual Perseid meteors can be as small as grains of sand, they often appear bright and fast because the debris enters Earth’s atmosphere at high speed, moving partly opposite to Earth’s orbital motion.
This featured image is a composite captured over several nights by Giselka in the Czech Republic. The Perseid meteor trails appear to originate from a single point in the sky, known as the radiant, located in the constellation Perseus.
Gallery: Perseid Meteor Shower 2026
Tomorrow’s photos: Open Space
Source: science.nasa.gov