Spectacular meteor shower will fill the sky this weekend

This weekend, if you have a telescope handy and you watch the skies closely, then you'll have the opportunity to view a spectacular meteor shower.

Stargazers around the world can expect to view the return of the Leonids: a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet Tempel–Tuttle. The shower is famed for being bright and colorful, with the space debris shooting across our skies at 44 miles per second.

Light pollution and other meteorological factors may hinder your personal experience, but if the weather, cloud cover, and light pollution is favorable, then you'll still be able to see 14 or 15 for an hour, though.

According to their entry on the official website of the American Meteor Society: "Leonids are best known for producing meteor storms in the years of 1833, 1866, 1966, 1999, and 2001. These outbursts of meteor activity are best seen when the parent object, comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, is near perihelion (closest approach to the sun)."

The entry continues: "Yet it is not the fresh material we see from the comet, but rather debris from earlier returns that also happen to be most dense at the same time ... The Leonids are often bright meteors with a high percentage of persistent trains."

Watch NASA's chief talk about the danger of meteors in the video below:

Speaking to Yahoo! News, AccuWeather Astronomy Blogger Dave Samuhel stated: "Twenty meteors per hour are likely through the peak, which makes it more active than the recent Taurid meteor shower... I tell people that are serious about seeing meteors to dedicate at least an hour."

He added: "Do not look at any light source during that hour like a phone, flashlight or any type of screen. Your eyes will gradually adjust by a half-hour, then you will have perfect night vision."

So there you have it: if you want to experience the wonder of space, then take a look at the night sky and see something truly magical.