This is when the Perseid meteor shower will peak this week
Hundreds of shooting stars will streak across the night's sky
Nisha Mal
July saw the return of the Delta Aquarid but now stargazers are in for another treat as the Perseid meteor shower will peak this week.
It is regarded as one of the most spectacular celestial events of the year, producing more than 100 shooting stars per hour.
Find out what causes the shower, when it peaks and how you can see it .
What causes the Perseid meteor shower?
The Perseid is made up of tiny pieces of a comet called Swift-Tuttle. It can be seen every year when Earth passes through a cloud of the comet's debris.
The debris is bits of ice and dust which can vary in size from as small as a grain of sand to about as big as pea.
These fragments are left behind from the last time Comet Swift-Tuttle passed close to Earth - the most recent time was in 1992.
Expert astronomy site earthsky.org said: "The bits and pieces from Comet Swift-Tuttle slam into the Earth's upper atmosphere at some 130,000 miles (210,000 km) per hour, lighting up the nighttime with fast-moving Perseid meteors."
When will it peak this year?
The Perseid meteor shower is expected to reach its peak in the early hours of Saturday, August 12. This means you will see the most meteors in the shortest amount of time on this date.
However, it is already in full swing so you can see its shooting stars any time between now up until Thursday, August 24 - although they will not be as bright.
What is the best way to see them?
Unlike other cosmic events you do not need a telescope, binoculars or any other kind of special equipment to catch the shooting stars.
But it is best to find a wide open space - away from trees and tall buildings - in order to view them.