The Perseid meteor shower is set to peak this week, but it may be hindered by the brightness of August's full moon. Here's what to know.

Meteor showers occur when Earth passes through trails of dust and debris left behind by comets or asteroids. The Perseids come from a comet called Swift–Tuttle, which orbits the Sun once every 133 years. The comet's dust particles enter Earth's atmosphere at speeds of about 37 miles (59 kilometres) per second.