People who will watch this night’s sky will see the spectacular display of the annual Perseid meteor shower. Although “falling stars” are the popular, profane words for a “meteor shower”, people have always preferred to use this romantic expression rather than the one of “a meteor shower”.

Either a coincidence or not, during this week-end in US, there was the opening night of the fantsy movie "Stardust", whose female protagonist, Yvaine, is a "falling star" chased by the other characters for her magical abilities. But let’s forget about the movie and let’s concentrate on this evening’s sky.

The Perseid meteor or falling stars shower has reached its greatest activity between August 8 and August 14. The heavenly fireworks spectacle will reach its peak on Sunday’s evening and during the early hours of Monday. "By 2 am on Monday morning, August 13th, dozens of Perseids may be flitting across the sky every hour." said Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center.

The source of the shower is Comet Swift-Tuttle, which was independently discovered by Lewis Swift on July 16, 1862 and by Horace Parnell Tuttle on July 19, 1862.

Although the comet is nowhere near Earth, the comet's tail does intersect Earth's orbit every year in August. Tiny bits of comet dust hit Earth's atmosphere traveling 132,000 mph. At that speed, even a smidgen of dust makes a vivid streak of light-a meteor-when it disintegrates. Because Swift-Tuttle's meteors fly out of the constellation Perseus, they are called "Perseids."

According to NASA, the Perseid meteor shower is one of two "showy" annual meteor showers that have meteor rates high enough to capture the attention of even the most casual sky watcher. The other is the Geminids shower that occurs in December.

Thanks to these days’ warm weather, 2007 could be one of the best years when you could get a good look at the famous meteor shower. It has been said that on Sunday night and on early Monday morning the night watchers should be able to see as many as 100 meteors an hour.

This year’s sky fest has come with two more bonus features. First of all, the meteor shower coincides with a new moon, which will make it even more visible, as the sky will be dark and, secondly, Mars will also be visible on the night sky as a red dot in the north-eastern part of the sky.

Last year’s shower was marred by the glare of an 87 percent full moon, making the meteors nearly impossible to see.

You’ll really have something to see and you’ll not even need special glasses or a binocular, as the astronomers said the best way to view the Perseid meteor shower is with the naked eye. But it is important to be in a dark area, without much pollution or illumination.

So, if you’re interested in viewing a real natural show, watch the sky. It will cost you nothing, but it will bring some real ecological joy.