The Perseid Meteor Shower is also known as "Tears of Saint Lawrence" . Although this astronomical phenomenon was first recorded in China in the year 36, it was in the nineteenth century when the Italian astronomer Virgilio Schiapa discovered that its origin is the Comet Swift-Tuttle , which leaves a trail of debris on its way around the Sun Every August, the Earth crosses its path and the comet's dust particles collide with the atmosphere at 212,000 kilometers per hour. At that speed, even the smallest fragment of dust disintegrates, producing a light trail.
