The annual Perseid meteor shower has begun and will peak the night of Aug. 12 into the early morning of Aug. 13. Known for its high hourly rate of bright meteors, the Perseids occur when debris from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle burns up in Earth’s atmosphere. This meteor shower is one of the most dramatic and offers a chance to see shooting stars in the summer night sky. It will last through late August.