Python files are compiled to bytecode, which is then executed by the host. Python automatically compiles your script to compiled code, so called byte code, before running it.
When a module is imported for the first time, or when the source is more recent than the current compiled file, a .pyc file containing the compiled code will usually be created in the same directory as the .py file. When you run the program next time, Python uses this file to skip the compilation step.