Meteor shower thrills sky watchers across Anatolia

Stargazers were able to catch a glimpse of one of the biggest and best celestial light shows of the year as the Perseid meteor shower peaked over Turkey on Aug. 12.

Hundreds of shooting stars rained over the sky during one of the brightest astronomical displays.

This visual feast was closely watched by hundreds of people at the Kayseri Science Center, a planetarium with the largest dome in the country.

Some visitors set up tents and others watched the show in the sky by lying down on the cushions they brought with them.

Dozens of sky enthusiasts also gathered at the Ayı Kaya location, nearly 25 kilometers from the northwestern province of Bolu, and watched the meteor shower with great excitement.

Setting up their tripods to a spot devoid of light pollution, photographers have immortalized both the meteor shower and the movements of the Milky Way galaxy after adjusting their cameras with small flashlights.

The Perseids have presented a scintillating display for 2,000 years, according to NASA.

The name originates from the constellation of Perseus, and astronomers call this point the shower's radiant.

The eye-catching shower can be seen every July and August, as the Earth crosses into the debris left behind by Comet 109-Swift-Tuttle.