Comet Swift–Tuttle is expected to return to perihelion in 2126 after the 2026 Perseids.
The comet’s long orbital period is about 133 years. Its most recent perihelion passage was in 1992, so the next predicted return falls in the 22nd century. Perihelion means the point in its orbit closest to the Sun, not the date of the annual Perseid meteor maximum.
Earth will continue crossing Swift–Tuttle’s debris stream every August before and after that return. The 2026 shower is therefore caused by material distributed along the comet’s orbit, including grains shed during earlier passages. The comet itself is not required to be nearby for Perseid meteors to appear.
Historical records indicate that earlier appearances of the same comet may have been observed centuries ago. Modern orbital calculations connect the 1862 and 1992 observations and provide a basis for predicting the 2126 return. The year is easy to confuse with the annual shower dates, but 2126 refers to the comet’s orbit, while 2026 refers to this year’s meteor display.