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.

The Perseids are pieces of debris and dust left behind by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. Unlike many other meteor showers, the Perseids often take long and bright paths across our sky, making for some brilliant viewing. These very small comet "chunks" can reach speeds of 37 miles per second as they burn up in our atmosphere.

Perseid meteor shower forecast in Massachusetts

The show will peak late Tuesday night, and the weather conditions will be nearly ideal. Other than some patchy fog along the South Coast, the skies will be completely clear.

Unfortunately, the light from the waning, 86%-lit, gibbous moon will make it difficult to see most of the meteors.  All things considered, experts expect you may be able to see about 15 meteors per hour at best.

How to see the Perseid meteor shower

In order to increase your odds for maximum viewing, you should find an area with the least obstructions (trees or buildings) and as wide open a view of the sky as possible.

Also, find a dark location, away from any artificial light.

Finally, the peak hours will be between 1 a.m.  to 5 a.m. Wednesday... so grab some coffee.