IF you looked up into the sky on Wednesday night you might have seen a spectacular sight.
The Geminid meteor shower makes a yearly appearance and was particularly vivid this week because of a slim moon.
These pictures were taken by stargazer Michael Taylor, of Escomb, near Bishop Auckland.
"I started a light interest in astrophotography last year, though just at an amateur level," he said. "I would say that last night's Geminid shower was more prolific and impressive than the Perseid meteor shower back in August, though the clouds did obscure some of the view for a time last night.
"I do also regularly keep an eye out for notification of the Northern Lights being visible from our area, though those are a little unpredictable, and I have only managed to capture decent photos of the Aurora once since I started."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here