ALL eyes will be on the sky in Cumbria tonight as Mother Nature prepares to give us another dazzling display.

Cumbrians turned out to watch a spectacular display of the Perseids meteor show over the summer, and it appears we could be in for another treat.

Described as some of the brightest and swiftest shooting stars to graze our skies, the annual Orionids shower is a result of debris left behind by Halley's Comet.

While the famous comet itself is only visible about every 75 years, the shooting stars it causes create a display every year.

The shower is expected to peak tonight, with up to 20 shooting stars an hour, although the brightness of the moon means stargazers will be better off waiting until Saturday night or Sunday to view them.

The shower is expected to peter slowly out, with the last few meteors visible up until November 7.

Anyone wanting to catch a glimpse is encouraged to get out of town and away from street lights.

The darker the sky is, the more meteors you're likely to see - so a 10 minute drive out of town is good enough, but people who want to go a bit further could go to a designated 'dark sky' area.

Two internationally recognised sites are within driving distance of Cumbria. The biggest in Europe is Northumberland Dark Sky Park, which is home to the Kielder Observatory.

Alternatively, there is another over the border at Galloway Forest.

Another option is to head down to the Lake District, with its lack of street lights and large populations.