THE night sky should be exploding with celestial activity as one of the most impressive shooting star showers of the year takes place this week.

The celestial fireworks will be part of the Geminid meteor shower, taking place every night this week. They are expected to be at their best on Friday from 10pm, right through to 7am on Saturday.

John Harper, president of Scarborough and District Astronomical Society, said he was looking forward to a sparkling night sky.

"Away from street lights, out in the country, observers can see between 60 and 120 meteors an hour. Conditions are not at their very best this year because the moon is approaching full, but even so it will be well worth popping outside to the darkest spot in the garden if the weather isn't too bad."

Mr Harper said: "The Geminid shower often produces a number of bright meteors, some of which fragment in a spectacular manner. I suggest they are well worth setting the alarm clock for."

The radiant, or point in the sky where the meteors appear to originate, lies in the eastern sky during the evening, but then climbs high in the southern sky.

Updated: 11:56 Wednesday, December 11, 2002