Meteor shower stuns stargazers in the south

Hang Ross The silhouette of a tree against a purple starry sky with a couple of white streaks shooting across it.Hang Ross
James Loveridge Meteors shimmering in the sky above Charmouth Beach, where purple and white beach huts can be seen in the foreground James Loveridge

The Perseid meteor shower was captured in the New Forest, Hampshire, in the early hours of Monday morning.
James Loveridge captured this beautiful shot of the shower at Charmouth in Dorset.

People across the south have been looking to the skies, hoping to catch a glimpse of shooting stars.

The annual Perseid meteor shower sees fragments from Comet Swift-Tuttle burn up upon entering the Earth's atmosphere.

Astronomers had predicted a peak on 11 and 12 August this year.

Data suggests the best viewing time for stargazers on Monday evening will be the first half of the night, when skies are at their clearest.

Follow BBC South on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2240.