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As Fourth of July approaches, you might be planning to attend a few fireworks shows in cities near you. You probably have seen many fireworks in your life, but you may not know much about these beautiful and dangerous objects. Here are some things you probably don't know about fireworks. 1. Big fireworks shows take a lot of planning Flickr You might think a city just buys a bunch of fireworks and sets them off on a certain date, but that isn't the case. Major fireworks shows need months of planning, design and lots of volunteers. A choreographer is hired to set the script for the show and a crew is given instructions on safety and execution. There is a set crew for safety to ensure nothing goes wrong. There is also a production manager who is the only person who can start the show. 2. What is in a firework exactly? Flickr A firework contains three main things: an oxidizer, fuel and a chemical mixture that gives you the beautiful colors you see. How they are placed in the shell is how they explode into those fun designs. To get them up in the air, the shell is put into a tube called a mortar. 3. Different chemicals create different colors Wikipedia When chemicals in the fireworks burn, they can create those amazing colors you see. When you burn strontium and lithium compounds, it produces red. When you burn barium, it produces green and when you burn copper, it produces blue. However, blue is the most difficult color to pull off because you have to heat the copper at just the right temperature. That is why most shows contain a lot of red and green fireworks. 4. You really do need great weather for a perfect fireworks show Flickr If it is too windy, some fireworks shows might be canceled for safety reasons. If it is rainy and foggy, it might be hard to see some of the fireworks. The best weather for a fireworks show is obviously clear skies. Offutt Air Force Base Do you enjoy fireworks shows? SHARE with a friend who is excited for a Fourth of July fireworks show!