The "stars" should be even brighter above Ireland than they were on the ground during last week's MTV Europe Music Awards in Dublin if the Leonid meteor shower early on Thursday morning is as spectacular as expected.
The Leonids are small particles of dust from Comet Tempel-Tuttle, which passes through Earth's orbit every year. However, Earth only passes through the thickest part of the meteoroid swarm approximately every 33 years, a condition which creates a major cascade of "shooting stars".
The meteors will be visible to the naked eye - no telescope is necessary. The peak of the shower will occur between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. on November 18th, although astronomers recommend watching the sky from the 17th, as last year's shower arrived one day early.
Scientists predict that this year's will produce 1,000 fireballs per hour. Each meteor is the size of a pebble and disintegrates before it hits Earth. They become visible between 65 and 120 kilometres above Earth and disintegrate at altitudes of 50 to 95 kilometres.
For best viewing, look towards the eastern sky and be as far from city lights as possible. A camera will capture the bright streaks of light if the shutter can be left open for more than 30 minutes.
The fastest meteoroids speed by at 42 kilometres per second, faster than the Earth's own velocity of 29 kilometres per second. The shooting-star effect occurs when the meteor enters Earth's atmosphere and heats up due to air friction. The rock becomes so hot that it glows and creates a glimmering trail of gases and melted particles.