Las Lágrimas de San Lorenzo 2024  

Lluvia de Meteoros Perseidas - Perseid meteor shower Spain
Where to see in Barcelona Spain

Dates:
Nights of 11th August, 12th and 13th August every year

Information:
Perseid meteor shower. Shooting stars. Llàgrimes de Sant Llorenç - Pluja d'Estels. Where to see the 'Tears of Saint Lorenzo' Perseid meteor shower of shooting stars near Barcelona, Spain. The shooting stars can be seen best near Barcelona on nights of 11th  to 13th August from 22:00 / 10pm and until 5am with around 60 shooting stars a minute. From 11th to 13th in Barcelona there is a waxing gibbous moon which means the moon will be quite full, so the darkest time of night is after the moon sets. In Barcelona the waxing moon sets around 3am from 11th to 13th, so the best time to see shooting stars is 3am to 5am just before dawn. Check the Barcelona province weather to be sure of clear skies.

What is Perseid meteor shower?

The Perseids meteor shower is a meteor shower of shooting stars which comes from debris left by a comet called Comet Swift-Tuttle. This comet is the largest object known to make repeated passes near the Earth. In Spain the Perseid meteor shower is called Lluvia de Meteoros Perseidas and is nicknamed Las Lágrimas de San Lorenzo 

When to see the Perseid meteor shower in Spain?

You can see the Perseid shooting stars on the nights of the 11th to 12th and the 12th to 13th August every year in Spain, and around the world.

Why is it called Lágrimas de San Lorenzo in Spain?

In Spain the nickname for las Perseidas is 'las Lágrimas de San Lorenzo' which translates as the 'Tears of San Lorenzo' or 'Tears of St. Lawrence.' In the Catalan language they are called 'Llàgrimes de Sant Llorenç.' This nickname arose because the Perseid shooting stars dates are close to the feast day of Saint Lawrence, which is on 10th August. It is possible see the Perseids shooting stars during all of August, but the nights of the 12th and 13th August are considered the optimal dates because those dates have the maximum concentration of shooting  stars.

Can you see shooting stars in Barcelona?

It is impossible to see 'las Lágrimas de San Lorenzo' from a location in the city of Barcelona because of heavy city light pollution. To see shooting stars near Barcelona, you need to find a 'dark sky' place in the countryside outside the city and preferably away from local towns and villages. In a location like that, and if there are clear skies after midnight on the dates 11th to 13th August, then there's a good chance that you will see shooting stars in the night sky. You can be lucky and see 60 to 100 shooting stars an hour at peak times if the sky is clear. Even though it is referred to as a 'shower' you usually only see shootings stars one at a time, so don't expect to see the whole sky raining with stars.
 

Tips to see shooting stars

The best way to see the stars lie on your back - in a deckchair or sunbed or on a blanket - in a dark place and then scan the sky without using a telescope or binoculars - just with your eyes. Keep all lights like torches or car headlamps turned off to let your eye accustom themselves to the dark so you have maximum night vision. Be patient. It takes a while before you see one and if you are with others, they might see a few before you spot one. The shooting stars can go in different directions and be anywhere in your field of vision, but if you are patient then you will see one for sure. If you are heading inland, a good tip is to bring an extra sweater and a blanket to lie on - or a foldable beach chair or sunbed. The temperature in Spain in August is often above 20 Celcius / 86F at night, but it can feel chilly, if you are inland and on a field or hilltop.

Astronomy groups in Catalonia:

Dark-sky area Albanyà near Girona in Bassagoda park
AstroGirona 1 hour from Barcelona in Caldes de Malavella and 1.5 hours from Barcelona in Palamos 
Astrobanyoles 1.5 hours from Barcelona in Banyoles,
AstroSeu 2,5 hours from Barcelona in La Seu d'Urgell  
Parc Astronomical Montsec 2 hours from Barcelona in Ager near Lleida 
Observatori Astronomic de Castelltallat 1 hour from Barcelona in Sant Mateu de Bages 
Observatori de Pujalt 1.5 hours from Barcelona in Pujalt

Related pages:

Article LaVanguardia 2018 (Spanish)

Astronomy & night sky apps

Skyview app
Stargazr app

Barcelona events calendar

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