One great thing about summer in America is that we get two fireworks shows. Both are exciting and beautiful. Both elicit “ooohs” and “aaahs” from awe-filled spectators. Both take no more effort than to look up and enjoy.

But one is artificial, the other natural. Of course, the 4th of July celebration is the artificial, man-made one. But the other can be seen all over the world in the night skies around the 12th of August.

It is, of course, the Perseid meteor shower, an annual heavenly delight for people everywhere – astronomer or not.

The meteor shower is a friendly reminder that there is not just the sun and the planets in our solar system, but asteroids and comets, as well.

The comets are the main reason for our meteor showers, including this week’s.

Comets travel about the sun on highly elongated orbits, and slough off dust and gases when near the sun. We saw some of this dusty material get exploded into space when NASA’s Deep Impact spacecraft threw a projectile into a comet last month.

But the dusty material stays in pretty much the same very large orbit as the mother comet.

If the comet’s orbit happens to cross ours, our planet inevitably smashes into the dust train. As we do, the comet dust gets thrust into our atmosphere at great speeds, 10-40 miles per second!

When just a random sand grain-sized particle flies through our beefy atmosphere at that speed it lights up from all the friction with our air molecules. That, my friend, is a meteor.

When we hit a swarm of these tiny particles, as what happens when we hit the debris train from a comet, meteors can come fast and furious. That is a meteor shower. Instead of the usual 5-10 random meteors per hour we normally get, a good shower can provide us with hundreds or even thousands per hour.

The Perseids originate from the jetsam of Comet Swift-Tuttle. Its latest fly-by was just over a decade ago, and at the moment it is very, very far away. But although the comet proper is presently way over yon, we are passing through its debris train now!

You may have already seen a Perseid meteor – we are already in the outer edges of the trail of schmutz. But the time to really make time for them is either the night of the 11th or the 12th. It is then that we pass through the thickest parts of the dross, kind of guaranteeing a fairly good fireworks show. But it’s never a sure thing.

The predicted peak is Friday night, a good night since most need not worry about school or work the next day. And, more importantly, the Moon will be setting about midnight, right before Prime Time for Meteors begins. Yes, sorry, I said after midnight.

The reason the best time for meteor showers is after midnight is because that is when our location on earth turns full face into the cloud of crud. Imagine sticking your head out the car window while being driven through a light rain. Face backwards and your face feels nary a drop. But turn around into the direction you’re being driven and, ouch! its full immersion time.

How many you see will also depends on your viewing conditions. Are you in the city? You’ll see the bright ones, but that’s it. Out where its dark with no interfering man-made lights, and with few hills or trees surrounding you? Then you may see one every couple minutes.

Best for all, you need not be an astronomer to enjoy it. You do need a place to observe them; lay down for maximum comfort. You need to smear on the DEET before you go out - West Nile virus is no fun I hear. And even if it’s warm, dress in layers. It will get cold later even on a hot night.

But because the meteors during a shower never hit the ground, you needn’t worry about bringing along one piece of equipment: an umbrella.

Clear skies!