What do Perseid meteors frequently leave behind as they streak through Earth’s atmosphere?

Perseid meteors frequently leave long wakes of light and color as they streak through Earth’s atmosphere.

A meteor is the visible glow produced when a meteoroid enters the atmosphere at high speed. The Perseids are known for fast, bright meteors, so some remain visibly luminous for a noticeable time after the main streak has passed.

These wakes are not trails of liquid or clouds left floating permanently in the air. They are luminous effects created by heated, ionized atmospheric gas and vaporized meteoroid material. Some persistent trains can continue to glow or distort briefly after the meteor itself disappears.

The meteoroids originate in dust and fragments released by Comet 109P/Swift–Tuttle. Earth crosses this debris stream every year, creating the recurring Perseid display even though the comet itself takes roughly a century to orbit the Sun.