If you have ever seen a tiny, brilliant point of light race across the night sky and quickly fade away, you probably saw what most people call a “shooting star,” but what scientists call a meteor—a tiny grain of dust or sand burning up as it entered Earth’s atmosphere at a high rate of speed.

Mankind has wondered for millennia where these objects came from, and why on certain nights of the year the number of meteors greatly increased, sometimes reaching rates of hundreds or even thousands per hour. These annual celestial events are called meteor showers, or for the most intense events, meteor storms. We now know that meteor showers and storms are caused by Earth encountering the debris shed by comets.

Comets, sometimes called “dirty snowballs,” orbit the Sun just like planets do. Unlike planets however, comets can enter our planetary neighborhood from any angle—from above, below or from any side. Our solar system is littered with the trails of dust and debris they leave behind them. (Think of the classic trick where a magician puts multiple swords through a box from all angles, hopefully avoiding the beautiful lady inside).

We currently know of over 6,000 comets. Since Earth is constantly traveling through space as we orbit the Sun, our planet sometimes encounters the trails of debris that they leave behind as the Sun warms their icy surfaces.

Smacking into these debris trails at our orbital speed of over 66,000 mph, the tiny grains of dust and sand quickly burn up as they travel through our atmosphere, glowing brightly as they cross the sky.

The Perseids are the most popular meteor shower. They peak on warm August nights as seen from the northern hemisphere. You may actually see Perseid meteors any clear night from July 17 to August 24, but this year they will reach their strong maximum on the night of August 11-12.

Normal rates seen from rural locations will range from 50-75 meteors per hour, at maximum. On this night, the Moon will be just shy of first quarter, so its light will not interfere too much with viewing. In addition, it will set around midnight and be out of the way for the peak viewing hours.

The source of the Perseids are particles released from Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle during its numerous returns to the inner solar system. They are called Perseids since the radiant (the area of the sky where the meteors seem to originate) is located near the prominent constellation of Perseus when at maximum activity.

Meteors can be seen in the early evening, but the best time to see any meteor shower, including the Perseids, is between midnight and sunrise. This is because later in the night, Earth’s rotation will have carried us around closer to the “front” of our planet as we orbit the Sun. No telescope or binoculars will be needed—just find a place with an unobstructed view of the sky, make yourself comfortable on a recliner or air mattress, and enjoy the show.

Ted Blank is a Fountain Hills resident and a founder of the Fountain Hills Astronomy Club. He is a NASA Solar Ambassador and vice president of the board for the International Dark Sky Discovery Center.