Perseid meteor shower wows stargazers
A weekend meteor shower lit up the night sky with a fiery shooting star display to delight of stargazers and space photographers around the world.
The annual Perseid meteor shower peaked in the wee hours of Sunday, Aug. 12, providing a dazzling celestial light show for stargazers lucky enough to have dark skies and clear weather for the event.
The Perseid meteor shower has been observed by humans for at least 2,000 years. It occurs each year in late July and early August when the Earth passes through a trail of dust and ice from the comet Swift-Tuttle. This dusty debris slams into Earth's atmosphere at more than 130,000 miles per hour and burns up, creating the fiery meteors seen by observers.
From the ground, the Perseids appear to radiate out of the constellation Perseus, hence their name.
If you missed the Perseids early Sunday, don't fret. You can still catch them tonight, weather permitting.
"For those who missed the shower on the night of Aug. 11-12, you can still see Perseids on the night of Aug. 12-13," NASA officials said in an advisory. "The rates will be lower, approximately 40 per hour."
The Perseid meteor shower may be one of the most dependable meteor shower displays of the year, but it's not the last event of 2012. On Oct. 21, the annual Orionid meteor shower will hit its peak, offering stargazers a change to see dust from the famed Halley's Comet light up the night sky. (SOURCE)
Credit: Roberto PortoVeteran astrophotographer Roberto Porto snapped this spectacular view of a Perseid meteor over Mount Tiede National Park in the Canary Islands off the west coast of Africa on Aug. 11, 2012 during the peak of the 2012 Perseid meteor shower. The Milky Way and rock arch Zapata de la Reina (Queen's Shoe) are visible.
Credit: Jeff Rose/Jeka PhotographyPhotographer Jeff Rose captured this amazing photo of a Perseid meteor and the bright moon just after 1 a.m. on Aug. 11 during the 2012 from Cave City, Arkansas, during the 2012 Perseid meteor shower peak.
Credit: Tyler LeavittThe moon and Venus shine bright alongside a Perseid meteor (upper right) on Aug. 12 in this view by photographer Tyler Leavitt in Las Vegas, Nevada, during the peak of the 2012 Perseid meteor shower on Aug. 12.
Credit: Tuomo LeppänenStargazer Tuomo Leppänen of Lahti, Finland, captured this amazing photo of a Perseid meteor lighting up the sky during the Aug. 11-12 peak of the 2012 Perseid meteor shower.
Credit: Tuomo LeppänenStargazer Tuomo Leppänen of Lahti, Finland, captured this amazing photo of a Perseid meteor lighting up the sky during the Aug. 11-12 peak of the 2012 Perseid meteor shower.
Credit: Tyler LeavittPhotographer Tyler Leavitt captured this bright Perseid meteor on Aug. 12 as it lit up the sky just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada, during the peak of the 2012 Perseid meteor shower.
Credit: Adrian GutierrezNight sky watcher Adrian Gutierrez snapped this view of a Perseid meteor from Lockhart, Texas, during the Aug. 11-12 peak of the 2012 Perseid meteor shower.
Credit: Samuel HartmanStargazer Samuel Hartman caught this view of a Perseid meteor and the moon during the shower's peak on Aug. 12, 2012, from State College, Pa.
Credit: Matthew HendersonStargazer Matthew Henderson snapped this amazing photo of a Perseid meteor shining with the moon (right), Jupiter and Venus (bottom) shining over Lake Berryessa, Calif., during the Aug. 11-12 peak of the 2012 Perseid meteor shower.
SOURCE 
Perseid Below Credit: Ron Garan, ISS Expedition 28 Crew, NASA
VIDEO The 2012 Perseid Meteor Shower
VIDEO Perseids Time Lapse
Thank You!! :) Peace!!