Geminids meteor shower 2014: See the spectacular images of shooting stars lighting up the night sky

The annual shower is thought to have produced up to 100 shooting stars an hour at its peak

A meteor passes over Harringworth Viaduct in Northamptonshire during the Geminids meteor shower (Corbis)

Stargazers defied the freezing outdoor temperatures on Saturday night to witness one of the most spectacular astronomical events of the year: the Geminids meteor shower.

Named because it appears to be coming from the constellation of Gemini, the meteor shower is thought to have produced between 50 and 100 shooting stars an hour, including rapid bursts of two or three, which glowed in different bright colours.

Astronomers said last night’s weather conditions were close to perfect for the annual display, and by midnight in London bright meteors were already seen streaking across the night sky.

Meteors should have been visible throughout the night from about 10pm, with the best time to catch the spectacle thought to have been around 2am.

The Geminids has been lighting up the sky since last weekend, but the shower reached its fiery peak last night, which was expected to be best seen in East Anglia, Yorkshire and the North East, due to the clear weather in those parts of the UK.