Brilliant Meteor Streaks Over English Castle (Photo)

Perseid Meteor Over Edlington Castle England

Stargazer Thomas Heaton sent SPACE.com this photo of a Perseid meteor soaring over Edlington castle in Northumberland, England on Aug. 12, 2013. (Image credit: Thomas Heaton)

A brilliant Perseid meteor shoots across the night sky over Edlington castle in Northumberland, England in this spectacular night sky photo.

Stargazer Thomas Heaton sent this stunning image to SPACE.com on Aug. 12 during the peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower.

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Each year in mid-August the Earth passes through a trail of dust left over from the Comet Swift-Tuttle. Fragments of ice and dust hit Earth’s atmosphere and burn up, creating one of the most dazzling annual meteor showers.

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Nina Sen is a freelance writer and producer who covered night sky photography and astronomy for Space.com. She began writing and producing content for Space.com in 2011 with a focus on story and image production, as well as amazing space photos captured by NASA telescopes and other missions. Her work also includes coverage of amazing images by astrophotographers that showcase the night sky's beauty.