For novices to the whole meteor shower phenomena, a meteor shower is simply when the earth passes through a swarm of rocky material left behind by a comet. Upon entering high in the earth's atmosphere, friction with air causes these chunks of rock to heat up and burn, producing a streak of light across our nighttime sky. In the case of the Perseids, the comet that scattered this trail of litter across the earth's path is called Swift-Tuttle. Stuck for centuries in a 135 year orbit around our sun, the debris left behind by this comet is substantial, making the Perseids one of the most reliable and impressive meteor showers of the year. Surprisingly, most Perseid meteors are smaller than a pea and located more than 50 miles overhead as they blaze a path across our sky.
Many people also confuse meteors with meteorites.
A meteorite is simply a meteor that reaches the ground before it burns up. Now that you're armed with some knowledge, get out and watch Perseid meteor shower on the evening of August 11-12. Take a reclining lawn chair that will allow you to comfortably watch the sky directly overhead. Most Perseids meteors will be high in the sky, or slightly off to the northeast. Before midnight, potential meteors must be traveling fast enough to catch-up with the earth in order to enter our atmosphere.