Watch: Mesmerising Perseid meteor shower and magical auroras fill night sky

In what can be called a double treat for the sky gazers, the night sky was filled with aurora borealis as the Perseid meteor shower started and meteors passed through the sky on August 12 (Monday).

The people came out of their houses and travelled to darker areas to witness the marvellous show in the sky.

In the videos and photos captured, pink and green hues were seen filling the night sky as numerous meteors passed through it. The netizens captured the meteors and the auroras and shared them on platform X.

ThePerseid meteor shower was expected to peak on the night ofAugust 11 and before sunrise on August 12, 2024.

For those who were not able to spot the meteors in person, astrophysicist Gianluca Masi of the Virtual Telescope Project was live streaming the meteor shower.

All about the Perseid meteor shower

The Perseid meteor shower happens annually between mid-July to late August. They are the best meteor showers throughout the year and give skywatchers many opportunities to spot a shooting star amid the warmer summer nights.

Meteor showers have been named on the basis of the constellation from which the astrophysicists find the meteors radiating from.

From the perspective of Earth, the Perseids appeared nearly in the direction of the Northern Hemisphereconstellation Perseus.

As per NASA, nearly 100 meteors on average will be visible per hour when the Perseid meteor shower peaks.

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A general Perseid meteoroid travels at the speed of 133,200 mph (214,365 kph) when it hits the atmosphere of Earth and is called a meteor.

Generally, the Perseids are tiny and nearly the size of a sand grain.

Although the Perseid meteor shower happens annually, people are anticipating a potentialPerseid meteor storm that will take place in 2028.

(With inputs from agencies)