A man-made meteor shower launched by satellite could open the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo

Japanese research company ALE is bidding to create an artificial meteor shower for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020. The project, Sky Canvas, goes beyond your average fireworks display: It involves launching a satellite into space “loaded with about 500 to 1,000 ‘source particles’ that become ingredients for a shooting star,” the company explains. The company, which is aiming to launch its first satellite in the second half of 2017, outlines how the project works: When the satellite stabilizes in orbit, we will discharge the particles using a specially designed device on board. More

(Source: Quartz - May 23)