DERBYSHIRE: Night sky comes alive with Perseid meteor shower

Derbyshire’s night sky came alive with dozens of shooting stars as an annual meteor shower peaked.
Picture by Claire Davison.Picture by Claire Davison.
Picture by Claire Davison.

Scores of stargazers wrapped up warm, went outside and looked up to observe the Perseid meteor shower overnight.

And with clear skies for most of Derbyshire, the breathtaking astronomical event was observed by many of you.

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Derbyshire Times reader Claire Davison took this spectacular picture of a meteor zooming across the skies of Old Whittington at about 1.45am.

On our Facebook page, Stacey Walker said: “I saw seven meteors! I stood out in the cold for an hour between 12am and 1am!”

Lyn Winterbourne commented: “We were blessed with a mostly clear sky and a dry night to sit and wonder at the universe.”

Simon Parker added: “It was a good display – cheaper than fireworks!”

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The Perseid meteor shower occurs as leftover debris from the tail of the Swift-Tuttle comet, which last passed near earth in 1992 and is not due to return until 2125, collides with our atmosphere.

As this cometary “grit” strikes the atmosphere, it burns up, creating spectacular streaks of light across the night sky.

• If you took any pictures or video of the Perseid meteor shower in Derbyshire, email [email protected]