Northern Lights And Perseid Meteor Shower Put On A Celestial Show Overnight (Photos)
Topline
The Perseid meteor shower’s peak coincided with a strong geomagnetic storm that caused the Northern Lights to be visible over the weekend into early Monday morning, resulting in a dazzling light show for viewers across the world.
A Perseid meteor streak appears over the North Sea during the Northern Lights.
Key Facts
The Perseid meteor shower—one of the most anticipated meteor showers of the year—peaked between Sunday night and early Monday morning, though it’s still expected to be visible until it ends on September 1.
The meteor shower caused shooting stars to dart across the sky, and experts predicted viewers could see over 50 meteors per hour, according to the American Meteor Society.
Geomagnetic storm watches were issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for last Friday into Sunday night, and another strong G3 geomagnetic storm was observed Monday, causing the aurora borealis to coincide with the Perseid peak and be visible across the U.S. and other countries.
Solar activity has been unusually busy in recent months as the sun’s 11-year solar cycle approaches its anticipated peak between late 2024 and early 2026, with sunspots expected to intensify over the next year, and likely triggering more geomagnetic storms.
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A meteor streak Monday morning in Johnson City, Texas.
The Perseid meteor shower and the Northern Lights above a house in New York.
Perseid meteor streaks in Madrid, Spain.
The Northern Lights and Perseid meteor shower above a tree line in New York.
The Perseid meteor shower above Mount Nemrut Ruins in Turkey.
The Northern Lights in Poland early Monday morning.
Two meteor streaks above the Post-Camaldolese monastery in Poland.
Meteors crossing the night sky over a sunflowers field during the Perseid meteor shower in Spain.
The Northern Lights above a German beach.
The Northern Lights above the Bamburgh Lighthouse in England.
