Stargazers are being asked to count shooting stars in the skies tonight.

NASA is predicting the largest celestial fireworks display over planet Earth in 20 years.

The annual Perseid meteor shower will reach its peak overnight, with as many as 50 times the usual number of shooting stars blazing across the skies.

David Moore of Astronomy Ireland, has said tonight’s meteor shower will be visible in both urban and rural parts of the country.

“This year it is predicted it will be two or three times better than a normal year, so we are hoping for a celestial fireworks display with perhaps 50 times more shooting stars than you get on a normal night,” he said.

“So we are asking everyone across Ireland to join our national Perseid account and just count how many of these you see every 15 minutes, it has great scientific value, it is how we know things like this happen every year.”

Perseid reports can be sent to [email protected]