Meteor showers occur when Earth passes through trails of dust and debris left behind by comets or asteroids. The Perseids come from a comet called Swift–Tuttle, which orbits the Sun once every 133 years. The comet's dust particles enter Earth's atmosphere at speeds of about 37 miles (59 kilometres) per second.

It’s that time of year again, and the peak of what’s revered as the “best meteor shower of the year” is approaching. The Perseid meteor shower is considered the best of the year due to how many meteors viewers can see,

The Perseid meteor shower takes place each year as Earth travels through the debris shed by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle.