Watching a meteor shower light up the sky is a thrilling experience for any keen stargazer.

But last night, those who set out to catch the Perseid Meteor Shower got more than they bargained for as the Northern Lights burst into life.

Stunning pH๏τos from North Yorkshire to New York capture the amazing moment these astronomical wonders came together in a single display.

If you missed out last night, experts say there is still a good chance to see the Perseid Meteor Shower and Northern Lights tonight.

Jess Lee, astronomy education officer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, told MailOnline: ‘Dark skies and late nights will get you the best views, but it’s possible to see meteors as soon as the sun has set, and you can also see them from places with some light pollution, so it’s worth looking out for them wherever you are.’

The Perseid Meteor Shower is a particularly active meteor shower which reaches its peak on August 12 and 13.

At its most active it can produce up to 100 meteors per hour and is known for its particularly bright shooting stars.

Ms Lee says: ‘The Perseids are named after the constellation of Perseus, because if you trace the meteors back across the sky they appear to have come from that area.

‘However, you can see them in any part of the sky, and they don’t have any connection to the stars of Perseus.’

Rather, the Perseid Meteor Shower is caused by the debris left behind by a comet called 109P/Swift-Tuttle.

As the Earth sweeps through this trail of cosmic dust, those particles burn up in the atmosphere and bust into the bright flashes of light we see as meteors.

Last night the peak of the meteor shower just so happened to coincide with unusually strong activity in the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights.

The spectacular glow of the Northern Lights is triggered by the arrival of charged particles from the sun which collide with gases in our atmosphere.

When events called ‘coronal mᴀss ejections’ send large waves of particles towards Earth, this causes the Northern Lights to become bright enough that they can be seen over lower laтιтudes.

Although these events are completely unrelated, last night the two came together by chance to produce an even more stunning view.

Incredible pictures show the Northern Lights reaching as far south as Dorset in the UK.

Elsewhere in Britain, budding astropH๏τographers captured impressive snaps of the aurora lighting up the skies over North Yorkshire and Northumberland.

In Europe, pictures showed the bright glow of the Northern lights stretching over Germany and Poland and even reaching the town of Lviv in Ukraine.

The US also saw spectacular displays of activity over New York, Pittsburgh, and California.

In the most impressive images, some pH๏τographers even managed to capture the moment a shooting star pᴀssed through the glow of the Northern Lights.

With each shooting star lasting no more than a second or two, this is a truly impressive pH๏τographic feat.

And there is even a chance that the Northern Lights could still be visible over parts of the country.

The coronal mᴀss ejection that triggered last night’s aurora is likely to pᴀss as the day goes on, reducing the geomagnetic activity that prompts the Northern Lights.

However, Earth will soon be hit with glancing blows from two further waves of solar material which could give the aurora a boost.

The Met Office Space Weather Forecast says: ‘Another CME [coronal mᴀss ejection] enhancement is possible early 13 Aug, this will bring a chance of visible aurora to Scotland and parts of Northern England overnight

The Met Office predicts a moderate geomagnetic storm tonight before conditions fade back to normal by tomorrow.

Met Office spokesperson Stephen Dixon told MailOnline: ‘Another coronal mᴀss ejection enhancement is possible later today, which may bring a chance of visible aurora to Scotland and parts of northern England on Tuesday night.

This makes tonight the last chance to catch the Perseids at their peak while there is a chance of seeing the Northern Lights.

Ms Lee says: ‘This year, due to the current phase of the Moon, the sky should be dark enough for many of the shooting stars to be visible.’

Unfortunately, cloud cover over much of the country might make getting the best view more difficult.

Mr Dixon says: ‘Those further south are unlikely to see anything, with cloud and rain further restricting any chances of visibility.

‘Aurora activity is likely to return to background levels in the coming days, with any significant enhancements unlikely and restricted to the far north of Scotland, at best.’

While conditions for viewing will otherwise be good, both the Northern Lights and meteor shower can also be quite faint.

This means that you will need to take a few simple steps to ensure you get the best chance of seeing tonight’s display.

‘Unfortunately, like many astronomical phenomena, you’ll need to be viewing away from a light-polluted area for the most spectacular views,’ says Ms Lee.

‘If you do want to spot some meteors try to go out after midnight, as far from any streetlights as you can, to an area with lots of the sky visible if possible. It’s then just a case of getting comfortable, looking up, and waiting.’

If you are struggling to spot the Northern Lights with the naked eye, you can also try using your phone to get a better view.

By taking a pH๏τo without the flash your phone should automatically enhance the image and reveal whatever aurora there is to see.