Perseid meteor shower 2019: Stargazers take stunning pictures of spectacular display

Stargazers around the world have shared their spectacular pictures of the Perseid meteor shower which lit up skies last night.

The annual event saw a fantastic display of celestial fireworks as hundreds of shooting starts streaked across the night sky.

The meteor shower was visible around the world and is considered the highlight of the astronomical calendar.

A meteor streaks across the sky near the Monument to the Revolution at Kozara during the peak of the Perseid meteor shower in Prijedor, Bosnia (REUTERS)

Last night’s display was predicted to be a clear one for viewers as the weather was largely dry. Forecasts had suggested those looking in Wales, central England and southern England had the best views.

The anticipated event happens every August and peaks on August 12 and 13, when as many as 60 to 70 meteors are visible every hour, according to NASA.

A long exposure picture shows a Perseid meteor crossing the night sky and stars trails above the ruins of a medieval castle in the village of Kreva (AFP/Getty Images)

The meteors, mostly no bigger than a grain of sand, burn up as they hit the atmosphere at 58 kilometres (36 miles) per second to produce a shooting stream of light in the sky.

Peak temperatures can reach anywhere from 1,648 to 5,537 C (3,000 to 10,000 Fahrenheit) as they speed across the sky.

A meteor of the Perseids meteor shower burns up in the atmosphere behind a huge statue of a bison near the village of Petkovichi (EPA)

The meteors are called Perseids because they seem to dart out of the constellation Perseus.