Perseids Meteor Shower

space · summer · meteors · astronomy

Cosmic snowplow. The Perseids happen when Earth passes through dusty debris left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle as it orbits the sun. This comet only visits our area of space every 133 years.

See thousands of meteors. At peak nights in mid-August, you might spot 50 to 100 meteors per hour streaking across the sky. The best viewing is after midnight when your location faces into the cosmic dust cloud.

Streaks from Perseus. The meteors appear to come from the direction of the constellation Perseus in the sky, which is why astronomers named them the Perseids. They're called the radiant, or the point where the streaks seem to start.

Earth's annual date. You can catch Perseids every year from mid-July to late August, with the absolute best nights around August 10-12. No telescope needed, just find a dark spot away from city lights.

Dusty leftovers. Each tiny meteor is a grain of dust or pebble from the comet, burning up as it smashes into Earth's atmosphere at incredible speed. That friction creates the beautiful light you see.