The Perseids is a meteor shower that happens every Aug. 9-14 when Earth sweeps through debris left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle — a periodic comet which appears in the night sky every 133 years, the last time being in 1992, with the next appearance set for August 2126.
The Perseids (so-called because the meteors that enter Earth’s atmosphere appear to originate from the constellation Perseus) have been observed by humanity for over 2000 years. Viewing conditions this year promise to be extra good though as when they hit their peak on Aug. 12 the moon will have just set.
