Every year in August, the Earth passes through rock and dust fragments left behind by the comet Swift-Tuttle, last time it came near the Sun. As these small particles collide with the Earths atmosphere, they burn-up, often creating a startling streak of light across the sky.
The term 'Perseid', refers to the star constellation of Perseus. The meteors actually have nothing to do with the stars we see from Earth, as being part of Perseus. It just appears as though the meteors originate from Perseus. The Perseid meteor shower actually starts in late July and runs to late August. However, the best time to view is around the peak.
