As the dog days of summer arrive, so does the debris of Comet Swift-Tuttle, bringing us the Perseid Meteor shower.

As Earth passes through the tail of the comet, the meteors will streak across the night sky, glowing different colors.

About 30 percent of them leave behind lingering trains showing their location of where they came from. The number of meteors increase after 12 and 1 a.m. when the ‘radiant,’ or the place in the sky the meteors emanate from, rises in the northeast.”

The shower’s peak will occur on Thursday night, but Friday night will also offer a good opportunity for those looking to experience the Perseids.

Discovered during the American Civil War by astronomers Lewis Swift and Horace Tuttle, debris from the Swift-Tuttle comet colliding with the planet and burning up in the atmosphere provides the spectacular light show. So get out into the summer night sky and have yourself a real “star” party!

I took this composite image several years ago when the skies where perfect for viewing. Over 25 images were compressed into one, for this dramatic picture.