Perseid meteors over Teide Observatory, Tenerife, Spain (© Westend61/Getty Images)
Not every summer tradition happens on the ground. Some take place hundreds of kilometres overhead, one meteor at a time. The Perseids return every year from mid-July through late August, usually peaking around August 12–13. Visible across much of the world, they can produce dozens of meteors per hour under dark, clear skies. Each streak is a tiny fragment of debris left behind by Comet Swift–Tuttle as Earth moves through its dust trail, appearing to radiate from the constellation Perseus. In Canada, dark-sky destinations such as Jasper National Park in Alberta and Torrance Barrens Dark-Sky Preserve in Ontario are among the best places to enjoy the annual display.