The northern lights, or aurora borealis, light up the sky as people gather to watch the annual Perseid meteor shower near the village of Borodinka in Russia's Omsk region early Tuesday. (Alexei Malgavko/Reuters)
Late Monday into the early morning hours of Tuesday, the Perseid meteor shower peaked across the Northern Hemisphere, delighting skywatchers with a dazzling light show that we won't see again until 2025.
The Perseid meteor shower, commonly known as Perseid meteor showerThis event is considered one of the brightest and most abundant meteor showers of the year. During the event, approximately 50 to 100 meteors visible per hour streak across the sky, leaving behind long waves of light and color.
Because of this colorful and abundant display, the Perseids are the highlight of many meteor hunters' calendars.
But for some lucky stargazers, the Perseids were accompanied by another spectacular cosmic display: the aurora borealis, or northern lights.
In a rare event, the Perseid meteor shower coincided with geomagnetic stormThis has led to conditions that have made the aurora visible to some very lucky skywatchers in places like Minnesota, New York and Nevada.
While the geomagnetic activity was high expected According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the northern lights that appeared were unexpectedBecause space weather can be unpredictable, aurora borealis only occurs under the right conditions.
According to NASA, solar activity has been unusually active in recent months due to the sun's entry into Earth's atmosphere. maximum solar powera peak in the sun's 11-year cycle that will cause sunspots to intensify and geomagnetic storms to increase. The peak will begin in late 2024 and end in early 2026, when the sun enters solar minimum, a period of minimal solar activity.
If you're not lucky enough to witness the celestial light show, here are some photos of this rare event captured around the world.
Massive stone carvings at the archaeological site of Mount Nemrut in southeastern Turkey during the Perseid meteor shower. (KEMAL ASLAN/AFP via Getty Images)
This image from an abandoned military airbase shows the night sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower in the Kakheti region of Georgia on Monday. (Irakli Gedinidze/Reuters)
Sheep are seen in the night sky under the twinkling northern lights near Hagermarsch, in Germany's East Frisia region early Tuesday. (Matthias Balk/picture alliance via Getty Images)
A meteor streaks across the starry sky near Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park in California late Monday night. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
A dazzling display of the Northern Lights over a hay field in Brandenburg, Germany, early Tuesday. (George Moritz/Image Alliance via Getty Images)
A meteor in the middle is seen as a satellite crossing the night sky over the Post-Kamalduse Monastery in the Suwalki region of Poland late Monday. (Sergey Gapon/AFP via Getty Images)
People gather to watch the spectacular display of the annual Perseid meteor shower and the Northern Lights near the village of Borodinka in Russia's Omsk region early Tuesday. (Alexei Malgavko/Reuters)
Ancient statues are seen atop Mount Nemrut in southeastern Turkey during the Perseid meteor shower late Monday. (Omrah Gurel/Associated Press)
The Northern Lights light up the sky over Joshua Tree National Park in California during the Perseid meteor shower. (Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images)
A geomagnetic storm produces vibrant green and pink colors during the peak of the Perseid meteor shower in Aitkin, Minnesota, Monday evening. (Christopher Mark John/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
A meteor streaks across the sky above a destroyed tank left on Mount Bjelasnica after the war in Bosnia. (Armen Durgut/AP)
A spectacular display is seen during the Perseid meteor shower at Mount Nemrut, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Turkey. (Murat Sengol/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The Northern Lights light up the sky above a field in the Suwalki region of Poland. (Sergey Gapon/AFP via Getty Images)
The Perseid meteor shower as seen from Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park, California. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
A rare colorful display as the Northern Lights light up the New York sky. (Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
A meteor streaks across the sky during the peak of the Perseid meteor shower at Pedernales Falls State Park in Johnson City, Texas. (Rick Kern/Getty Images)
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