Check Out These Stunning Photos of the Perseid Meteor Shower

The Perseid meteor shower occurs every August, and at 4am Thursday the shower hit its peak, dazzling star gazers and space fanatics alike. Viewers could see the meteors with the naked eye (no fancy telescopes needed), and this year, the moon was not in the way of the viewings.

Coming from the direction of the Perseus constellation, the meteor shower happens when Earth passes through a trail of debris left behind by a comet called Swift-Tuttle.

If you woke up early this morning you may have seen 60 to 100 meteors per hour blasting into Earth's atmosphere. But for those who missed out, don't worry. Social media users have shared plenty of mind-blowing celestial photos from last night's show, giving you the ultimate FOMO.

Fun fact: the meteors are about the size of a small rock or grain of sand, but they travel at an astonishing 130,000 mph.