Perseid Meteor Shower Set to Dazzle This Weekend

One of the year's best annual light shows is this weekend: the Perseid meteor shower, which will be at prime viewing in North America on the nights of August 11-12 and 12-13. The Perseids make their appearance every year in early- to mid-August when Earth passes through the remnants of Comet Swift-Tuttle. Those pieces of dust and rock stuck in the comet's orbit ram into our atmosphere at 132,000 mph, burning up in the process and providing a dazzling show. The Perseids have always been popul