One of the brightest meteor showers of the year is about to take place.

The Perseid meteor shower occurs every year between July 17 and August 24.

Budding astronomers will be happy to know that the stunning show will likely peak between Thursday August 11 and Saturday August 13.

Astronomer Bill Cooke from NASA's Meteoroid Environments Office in Huntsville said that this year, under perfect conditions, we could be treated to up to a whopping 200 meteors every hour!

Here's everything you need to know about viewing the meteor shower.

What is the Perseid meteor shower?

Named after the Perseus constellation, which is the point from which they appear to come from in the night sky, the Perseids are are pieces of debris from the tail of Comet Swift-Tuttle.

Every 133 years, comet Swift-Tuttle swings through the inner Solar System leaving behind a trail of dust.

When the Earth passes through, the dust cloud particles hit the atmosphere at 140,000mph and burn up in streaking flashes of light, creating the spectacle known as the Perseids.

As these chunks of celestial rock fall from space through the Earth's atmosphere, they appear as bright streaks of light zipping across the sky.

When is the best time to see the Perseid meteor shower?

The good news is that the best place to spot the Perseids is in the Northern hemisphere. The bad news is those wishing to catch a glimpse of the shooting stars will have to either stay up late or get up extremely early.

The best time to spot the display is between 1am and before the onset of dawn twilight.

Stargazers should allow around 20 minutes before viewing anything for their eyes to become accustomed to the dark.

Where is the best place to see the Perseid meteor shower?

The darker the location, the better, so those hoping to spot the Perseids should aim for vantage points away from the light pollution of towns and cites.

The meteors will appear to come from the direction of the Perseus constellation in the north-eastern part of the sky, although they should be visible from any point.

It may take a while to see any shooting stars as they tend to appear in clusters, followed by a lull, so patience is key.

Want to see more meteor showers this year? Here's our full 2016 guide .