The Perseid meteor shower takes place each year as Earth travels through the debris shed by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle.

The Perseids are known for being especially swift and bright, and in a good year viewers can expect to spot between 50 and 100 meteors in an hour. This year, with moonlight hampering dark skies, fewer than half the usual number of meteors could be visible. Still, 25 shooting stars an hour is worth waking up early for.

The Perseid meteor shower, one of the best meteor showers of the year, is going to peak this week. And the shooting stars should be visible in the Boston area and around Massachusetts. The Perseid meteor shower has a terrific history complete with some amazing shows. There have been years when as many as 100 meteors per hour were clearly visible.