Perseid Meteor Shower 2016: Amazing Photos by Skywatchers (Gallery)

Perseid Meteor Shower 2016!

Jason Miller

The Perseid meteor shower of 2016 peaked overnight on Aug. 11 and 12, with potentially up to 200 meteors an hour visible for observers in the best dark viewing sites. Click the arrows in this gallery to amazing photos by skywatchers and guides on how to see the Perseids. HERE: A Perseid meteor streaks over Mount Laguna, California in this stunning photo captured by skywatcher Jason Miller in the wee hours of Aug. 12, 2016 during the peak of the 2016 Perseid meteor shower. Related: The 2016 Perseid Meteor Shower: When, Where & How to See It.

Perseid Meteor Streaks Over Outer Banks: John Entwistle

John Entwistle Photography

Photographer John Entwistle snapped this stunning view of a Perseid meteor over Corolla in the Outer Banks of North Carolina early on Aug. 12, 2016 during the peak of the 2016 Perseid meteor shower. Related: The 2016 Perseid Meteor Shower: When, Where & How to See It.

Meteor over Colorado

Sean Korbitz

Photographer Sean Korbitz set up with two cameras taking 15-25 second exposures in northern Colorado's Mountain Park camping area. This was the brightest meteor he saw during the shower's peak — it lit up the ground below him. Related: The 2016 Perseid Meteor Shower: When, Where & How to See It.

Perseid Near Andromeda: Jennifer Rose Lane

Jennifer Rose Lane

Photographer Jennifer Rose Lane captured this view of a Perseid meteor streaking near the Andromeda galaxy from Chapman, West Virginia at 2:30 a.m. ET on Aug. 12, 2016 during the peak of the 2016 Perseid meteor shower. Related: The 2016 Perseid Meteor Shower: When, Where & How to See It.

Perseid Over Macedonia

Stojan Stojanovski

Skywatcher Stojan Stojanovski of Ohrid, Macedonia captured this image of two Perseid meteors, along with the Andromeda galaxy, on Aug. 11, 2016 during the peak of the Perseid meteor shower.Related: The 2016 Perseid Meteor Shower: When, Where & How to See It.

2016 Perseid Meteors Over Indiana

Alex Paul

Skywatcher Alex Paul created this long-exposure view of the 2016 Perseid meteor shower from northern Indiana while observing the shower's peak on Aug. 11-12, 2016.Related: The 2016 Perseid Meteor Shower: When, Where & How to See It.

Enchanted Rock State Park Perseid: Sergio Garcia Rill

Sergio Garcia Rill

Astrophotographer Sergio Garcia Rill captured this stunning view of a Perseid meteor with the Milky Way from Enchanted Rock State Park in Texas (an International Dark-Sky Association site) on Aug. 7, 2016 ahead of the peak of 2016 Perseid meteor shower.Related: The 2016 Perseid Meteor Shower: When, Where & How to See It.

NASA Spies a Perseid

NASA All Sky Fireball Network

A Perseid meteor captured on Aug. 11, 2016 by a NASA camera in northern Ohio. NASA actually hosted a webcast on the Perseids as well. You can see video of its all-sky camera views of the Perseids here.

2016 Perseid Over Nevada County: Barbara Matthews

©2016 Barbara Matthews

A bright Perseid meteor flashes in a night sky tinged with smoke from nearby forest fires in this view by photographer Barbara Matthews captured from Nevada County, California during the peak of the 2016 Perseid meteor shower on Aug. 11-12.Related: The 2016 Perseid Meteor Shower: When, Where & How to See It.

Perseid Meteor Over the Red River: Tony Corso

TonyCorsoImages.com

Photographer Tony Corso snapped this image of a Perseid meteor streaking over the Red River just north of Paris, Texas while observing on the night of Aug. 10, 2016, one day ahead of the Perseid meteor shower's peak for the year. "Sat outside for about two hours and saw probably 12-18," Corso told Space.com via email. Related: The 2016 Perseid Meteor Shower: When, Where & How to See It.

Perseid Meteors Over Lake Ouachita: Kenny

Kenny Cagle

Skywatcher Kenny Cagle captured this photo of two Perseid meteors from Twin Peaks Recreational Area at Lake Ouachita near Mt. Ida and Hot Springs, Arkansas on Aug. 10, 2016, just one day ahead of the Perseid meteor shower's peak. Related: The 2016 Perseid Meteor Shower: When, Where & How to See It.

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Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief

Tariq is the Editor-in-Chief of Space.com and joined the team in 2001, first as an intern and staff writer, and later as an editor. He covers human spaceflight, exploration and space science, as well as skywatching and entertainment. He became Space.com's Managing Editor in 2009 and Editor-in-Chief in 2019. Before joining Space.com, Tariq was a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times covering education and city beats in La Habra, Fullerton and Huntington Beach. In October 2022, Tariq received the Harry Kolcum Award for excellence in space reporting from the National Space Club Florida Committee. He is also an Eagle Scout (yes, he has the Space Exploration merit badge) and went to Space Camp four times as a kid and a fifth time as an adult. He has journalism degrees from the University of Southern California and New York University. You can find Tariq at Space.com and as the co-host to the This Week In Space podcast with space historian Rod Pyle on the TWiT network. To see his latest project, you can follow Tariq on Twitter @tariqjmalik.