The Perseids or "tears of San Lorenzo"They are a spectacular rain of stars that occurs every year at the beginning of August, and that is especially visible in the northern hemisphere of our planet. And although this year, the moon will make your vision a little bit difficult, we encourage you to enjoy this experience with your children.
Where and how to see them? When is the best day for it? What parallel activities can we do with children to learn more about this astronomical phenomenon? We give you all the keys to fully appreciate this wonderful spectacle of nature!
What are Perseids and why do they occur?
Before observing the rain of stars, it is advisable explain to children -According to our language at your age and understanding- what are the Perseids and why they occur. The explanation will not only help you to understand this phenomenon but to observe it with greater attention.
The Perseids are also known as "tears of San Lorenzo" because they can be seen more easily in days near the festival of San Lorenzo, which is celebrated today August 10. However, this rain of stars began around July 23 and will last until August 22, approximatelyStar rains occur when the remains of rock particles and dust that comets and asteorides that orbit the sun, come into contact with the atmosphere of our planet and disintegrate, causing the light effect that we appreciate from Earth.
The Perseids, in particular, are produced by the remains left behind the comet Swift-Tuttle, whose fragments collide with the Earth at more than 200,000 km / h, disintegrating into particles the size of a grain of sand or a marble that cross our sky at the speed of 60 km / h.
When is the best day to see them?
Although, as we have said, the Perseids can begin to appreciate since the end of July, experts say that the best time to enjoy them will take place on the night of Saturday, August 12 to Sunday 13, although tomorrow will also be a good day to observe them.
The inconvenience of this year with respect to the previous one is the full moon that we had on August 7, and whose glare is making it difficult to observe shooting stars since on key days - and despite being in a waning room - its luminosity will be 81%.
Tips for children not to miss detail
Teach children what Perseids are and enjoy with them this magical show, it can be a great and fun plan for these summer nights, but it is convenient to go prepared and follow some simple tips so that the outdoor excursion is as fruitful as we expect.
Although experts say that we can observe between 30 and 50 meteors per hour, the most recommended is do not take your eyes off the sky for at least 20 minutes, since a change in the direction of our gaze or a turn of the head can cause us to miss a beautiful show in a matter of seconds.
So, we will lie on our backs on the ground, look for the quadrant of the darkest sky and far from the moon, and wait for the magic to emerge!
The best places to enjoy the Perseids if you are on vacation
Choose a good enclave is essential to enjoy this wonderful vision, so we must follow two simple tips:
Locate a site as dark as possible and direct our gaze to the sky in an opposite direction of the moon. In this way we will prevent its glare from hindering the vision of the rain of stars
Avoid places with visual obstacles like buildings or trees
It is also important that the sky is completely clear of clouds and there is no light pollution, so the best places to see the Perseids could be the countryside, the outskirts of the cities or the beaches.
If the rain of stars catches you on vacation in any of these parts of Spain, you can feel lucky because according to the information collected on this website they are perfect places to enjoy the "tears of San Lorenzo":
If you are in the north, some dimly lit corners where seeing the rain of stars could be in Finisterre (A Coruña), Mirador del Fito (Caravia - Asturias), Sanctuary of Urkiola (Vizcaya) or Foz de Lumbier (Navarra).
If you are on vacation in the south, some of the best enclaves would be in Sierra Nevada (Granada) or El Rompido Beach (Huelva).
In the Canary Islands, the show is wonderful in the Teide National Park (Tenerife) or in Lanzarote, and in the Balearic Islands You can enjoy the Perseids from the Astronomical Observatory of Mallorca.
If you are in the Valencian coast, the beaches of Malvarrosa, La Albufera and El Saler (Valencia) are the perfect place, although there are also interior enclaves such as the Mirador del Garbí or Sierra Calderona (between Castellón and Valencia) where you can enjoy the stars. And if you are in the Murcia region, the preferred places are usually Cabo de Palos (Cartagena) or Castillo de Lorca, among others.
If the night of the Perseids catches you in Catalonia or Aragon, you should know that some of the best places to see them are in the Santa Fe Swamp (Montseny-Barcelona), the Walqa Technology Park (Huesca) or the Cantalobos Prairie (Teruel).
And if you find yourself in the interior area of the peninsula, we recommend you see them from the Sierra de la Pedriza, Buitrago de Lozoya or the Silla de Felipe II in El Escorial (Madrid).
Related cultural activities
Another different way of living the show of "tears of San Lorenzo" is by cultural programs that more and more municipalities They perform around the night of the Perseids.
We advise you to inform yourself in the city hall or cultural centers of your city, although we leave you an example of some of the recreational and educational activities that will be carried out in different parts of Spain:
Today in Madrid, you can enjoy workshops and conferences on the Perseids, as well as the possibility of observe the sky with telescopes. And for the night of August 12, the surroundings of the NASA facilities of Robledo de Chavela will become the perfect place to enjoy this phenomenon.
In Navarra, the Pamplona Planetarium has organized a special program to learn more about the Perseids, which will culminate with a excursion to the viewpoint of the Foz de Arbayún, from where you can observe the rain of stars.
In Santander, since Astrocantabria has been planned an exit on the outskirts of the city to observe the Perseids with telescopes. Anyone can sign up and enjoy the experience in the company of other families.
As every year, the Pujalt Observatory in the province of Barcelona will carry out Free activities to understand the phenomenon of the Perseids.
The astronomical Observatory of El Torcal in Malaga, will organize the night of Friday, August 11, a four-hour activity where attendees you can enjoy a nightly evening relaxed and pleasant watching the stars through telescopes
And if you couldn't admire the live show, you can do it through live broadcasts offered by the sky-live.tv portal that will emit the shower of stars from the Teide Observatory and the Parc Astronòmic del Montsec.
But either in the middle of nature or through the screen, do not forget to enjoy with the children of these magical nights of August in which the shooting stars are the main protagonists!Pixabay photos, iStock
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