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See 2016 Perseids sizzle in spectacular shooting-star show

This year's annual dramatic meteor shower featured twice as many exploding space rocks as normal. Enjoy some stunning views of the stellar display here.

Eric Mack
Eric Mack has been a CNET contributor since 2011. Eric and his family live 100% energy and water independent on his off-grid compound in the New Mexico desert. Eric uses his passion for writing about energy, renewables, science and climate to bring educational content to life on topics around the solar panel and deregulated energy industries. Eric helps consumers by demystifying solar, battery, renewable energy, energy choice concepts, and also reviews solar installers. Previously, Eric covered space, science, climate change and all things futuristic. His encrypted email for tips is ericcmack@protonmail.com.
Eric Mack
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1 of 19 Phil Ostroff

Bright (shooting) star

The Perseid meteor shower is known for shooting stars that are especially bright and fast. Their annual August appearance was especially memorable this year thanks to an assist from Jupiter. The giant planet's gravity pulled on the comet debris stream, allowing Earth to pass more directly through the middle of it, producing double the normal amount of shooting stars as a result.

This shot by Phil Ostroff taken north of Austin, Texas, shows off one meteor's good side. There are more on Phil's Instagram feed.

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2 of 19 Michael Seeley

Mega shooting star stack

Photographer Michael Seeley created this image by stacking a series of 105 shots taken at Indian River Lagoon near Melbourne, Florida.

"I captured four meteors, and three are visible here (the fourth is behind the clouds). There were also five or six others I saw that were either out of the frame or were too faint to be captured," Seeley says.

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3 of 19 NASA/Bill Ingalls

Shooting star at sunset

In this 30-second exposure, a meteor streaks across the sky in Spruce Knob, West Virginia.

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4 of 19 Donovan Shortey

Heavenly view from the Navajo Nation

A Perseid meteor during the 2016 Perseid Meteor Shower taken from Northern Arizona by Donovan Shortey.

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5 of 19 Tomislav Cuto

Croatian time-lapse

This time-lapse taken by Tomislav Cuto shows shooting stars cutting across spiral star paths over Croatia.

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6 of 19 Tomislav Cuto

Spiral shooting stars

Another time-lapse by Tomislav Cuto features shooting stars cutting across spiral star paths over Croatia.

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7 of 19 Martin McKenna

Irish eyes are spotting meteors

Spotted from Maghera in Northern Ireland by Martin McKenna.

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8 of 19 Phil Ostroff

Cutting through trails

This photo by Phil Ostroff is made up of nearly 90 minutes worth of 25-second exposures. Meteors and aircraft trails are seen cutting across the paths taken by stars.

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9 of 19 Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty Images

View from Israel

A Perseid meteor streaks across the sky above trees in the central Israeli village of Luzit during the meteor shower that occurs yearly when the Earth passes through the cloud of debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle.

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10 of 19 Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Inspiring view at Inspiration Point

A Perseid meteor streaks across the sky early on Friday above Inspiration Point at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah.


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11 of 19 Tommi R

Warp drive view

Tommi R created this image, a composite of about 30 images taken in the twilight hours in Finland and merged in Photoshop.

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12 of 19 Andrius Aleksandravičius

Lighting up Lithuania

This stunner from Lithuania is made up of 17 different 30 second exposures merged into one composite by Andrius Aleksandravičius.

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13 of 19 Alan Osterholtz

Hunting for subtle spiral crossers

You have to search a bit to find the trails of meteors that cut across the spiral pathways of stars in this time-lapse from Albuquerque, New Mexico, but it's worth the hunt. Alan Osterholtz snapped this stunner.

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14 of 19 Colin Frankland

Solitary shooter

Colin Frankland captured a lone Perseid shooting over Lincolnshire, UK.

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15 of 19 Niclas Welander Sæther

Northern light

A particularly bright Perseid over Norway's Grefsen church. Taken by Niclas Welander Sæther.

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16 of 19 Tyler S Leavitt

Perseid's Milky Ways

A Perseid captured alongside the Milky Way and a few joshua trees. Taken by Tyler S Leavitt.

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17 of 19 Beau Rogers

Meteors over Lake Tahoe

As seen over Lake Tahoe's Chimney Beach. Taken by Beau Rogers.

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18 of 19 Kev Lewis

Welsh meteor

A shooting star captured over Wales. Taken by Kev Lewis.

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19 of 19 Mike Lewinski

Enchanted sky

A Perseid captured at 10:48 p.m. local time over Embudo, New Mexico, by photographer Mike Lewinski.

Got some great Perseid shots of your own you want to share? Tweet them to @crave.

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