This week, the skies above the Northern Hemisphere will be peppered with little bits of space debris that create the annual Perseid meteor shower. It could be the best display in several years, peaking Wednesday night and Thursday morning. [Viewer's Guide]

There are also a lot of interesting bits of information associated with the Perseids and its parent comet, Swift-Tuttle, which with each pass through the inner solar system sheds some of its skin in the form of dust and other small chunks of debris.

Here are 10 cool facts you can use to impress friends and family late at night or early in the morning while watching for shooting stars:

1

Perseid meteoroids (which is what they're called while in space) are fast. They enter Earth's atmosphere (and are then called meteors) at roughly 133,200 mph (60 kilometers per second) relative to the planet. Most are the size of sand grains; a few are as big as peas or marbles. Almost none hit the ground, but if one does, it's called a meteorite.

Perhaps you knew all this, but the next two facts might surprise you ...