Stargazers may not be able to enjoy the full impact of the shower of meteor lights, known in Spain as the Tears of San Lorenzo, between August 11 and 13 due to a full moon.
Although the meteor light show will continue until August 24 the nights of the maximum activity are between August 11 and 13 when there will be a full moon which may well obscure our view.
The “perseidas” or meteor lights, often inaccurately called shooting stars, are particles of dust shed by comets that generally do not exceed the size of a grain of sand. They travel at speeds of between 10 to 75 kilometres a second leaving a trail of incandescent hot gas which, at certain times of the year, is visible to the naked eye.
Advice from the Observatory in Murcia is to not to gaze directly upwards but to look to the sides of the night sky in order to see the meteor lights at their brightest; to avoid the town and street lit areas; use a light with a red bulb; and to lie down on a sun lounger or similar chair for a better view. The lights should be visible to the naked eye.
This meteoric rain is known as the “lágrimas de San Lorenzo,” the tears of Saint Lorenzo, because August 10 in the day of this saint who was burned to death in medieval times.
