23 gorgeous photos of this week's stunning meteor shower from around the world

Early Friday morning, the annual Perseid meteor shower peaked.

It's already the most-watched annual meteor shower, but this year's is extra special. That's because Jupiter happens to be in the right place to nudge the comet that causes the shower closer to Earth.

The world took advantage of this unusual celestial occasion, staying up late or waking up early and sharing their best sightings on Twitter and Instagram. Here are some of the most incredible images we found of the night's light show.

If you're feeling inspired to try to catch some shooting stars, the meteor shower continues through August 24.

SEE ALSO: The most spectacular meteor shower of the year is going to be extra special tonight — here's how to watch

NOW WATCH: Here's a time-lapse of the Perseids — the most stunning meteor shower of the year

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/BI-2cCpg81w/embed/
Width: 800px

The view from Zambia.

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/BJAaUP_BoxN/embed/
Width: 800px

Instagram Embed:
http://instagram.com/p/BJAc6Aih4HJ/embed/
Width: 800px