Meteor shower dazzles thousands over Negev Desert

Thousands of Israelis converged on the desert town of Mitzpe Ramon this week to witness one of the most spectacular meteor showers to shoot across the sky in years.

The annual Perseid meteor shower, which occurs as the Earth passes through the debris of the Swift-Tuttle comet, peaked this year on Thursday night, producing twice the usual meteors seen per hour.

NASA estimated a peak of 200 shooting stars visible per hour in the Northern Hemisphere overnight Thursday into Friday morning, unlike previous years where the shower produced between 80 and 100 space specks.

The town, which lies at the edge of the Ramon crater in the Negev Desert, and offers some of the best views of the night sky in the country, played host to an estimated 6,000 star-gazers of every type, from professional astronomers to families.

View of the stars during a meteor shower in the skies above the Negev Desert, near Mitzpe Ramon on August 12, 2016. (Edi Israel/Flash90)

Much of Israel suffers from light pollution, as the tiny country has little true wilderness away from civilization. The Negev Desert in the country’s south is mostly free from habitation and Mitzpe Ramon, on the edge of the wilderness, has become a favorite spot for local star enthusiasts.

A Perseid meteor streaks across the sky above trees on August 12, 2016. (AFP/Menahem Kahana)