Perennial Perseids

The Perseid meteors are an annual event many skywatchers look forward to, as they often produce lots of shooting stars to enjoy. The Perseids are debris remnants of Comet Swift-Tuttle, which takes 133 years to orbit the Sun once. The meteors often leave long “wakes” of light and color behind them as they streak through Earth's atmosphere. They’re also known for their fireballs, which are larger explosions of light and color that can persist longer than an average meteor streak. This photo was taken Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021, in Spruce Knob, West Virginia. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls