Perseid Meteor Shower 2011: This Year's Celestial Fireworks Imagery (PHOTOS)

Many people in North America can't even see the 2011 Perseid meteor shower, but some in Europe have been far more lucky.

Jesper Grønne captured the shot below over Silkeborg, Denmark Thursday night as part of this usually fantastic event. He describes it to The Huffington Post as "An early, large and colorful Perseid meteor, captured August 11th. 2011 @ 23:13 local time in Denmark."

Most North Americans aren't able to see the night sky lit up with these little streaks because of of a full moon that is essentially washing the sky null of meteorites.

However, according to ABC News, there are still opportunities to see the spectacle if you live on the Western side of the Atlantic:

"The best time to look is during the hours before dawn especially on Saturday morning, August 13th," writes Tony Phillips, an astronomer who manages the Science News page at NASA's website. "The full Moon will be relatively low, and the meteor rate should be peaking at that time."

In addition, some stargazers can get a special treat in the early morning hours, when the International Space Station will be visible in the sky. For more information on when and where you can catch a glimpse of the ISS, check out NASA's Human Spaceflight site.

The photo below was prominently featured on Spaceweather.com, which also has a time-lapse slideshow from Ohio.

The Photo (via Astro-Photographer Jesper Grønne, Groenne.eu):

A Close-Up: