The Perseids result from Earth passing through debris — bits of ice and rock — left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle, which last passed close to Earth in 1992.

The Perseid meteor shower is caused by the dust and debris left in the inner solar system by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. Swift-Tuttle last visited in 1992 and is next due to visit in 2125.

The Perseid meteors are fragments of ice and rock ejected by Comet Swift-Tuttle, which swing into the inner solar system every 133 years. When Earth passes through this stream of debris each year ...

For example, during the famous Perseid meteor shower, it’s comet Swift–Tuttle, whose detritus strikes Earth’s atmosphere on Aug. 12-13 each year. For the Geminids on Dec. 13-14, it’s an ...