Ephemeral and poetic, shooting stars are among the world's most beautiful natural wonders.
But come 2018, these fleeting fireballs will no longer be left to chance.
Japanese space start-up ALE is developing the technology to deliver on-demand man-made meteors, which could turn the night sky into a blank canvas.
"Imagine a future, where you can use our meteors for international fireworks displays, a proposal for marriage, or a special memorial," says Shinsuke Abe, ALE's research director and Nihon University aerospace engineering professor.
The grand showcase for this outer space entertainment could be the opening of the 2020 Olympics, in Tokyo, which ALE is rumored to have bid to take part in.
Imagine a future, where you can use our meteors for international fireworks displays
Shinsuke Abe, ALE's research director
Meanwhile, in 2018, the company plans to launch its first satellite into orbit, and present its debut show in the same year, when that satellite has reached its position.
"We want people to look up, not down at the ground," says Abe. "People in Japan are so busy everyday and they need more culture and science in their lives to bring them closer to nature, and to relax.