The star shower Delta Aquarids is an astronomical phenomenon that arrives every summer around August to brighten up the hot nights with one of the most beautiful spectacles that the sky offers us on clear summer nights.
The phenomenon occurs because some small meteors (meteoroids) penetrate the atmosphere at high speed, colliding with air molecules in the atmosphere, disintegrating and producing a strong and brief luminosity that can be observed from Earth.
when will we be able to see the meteor shower in Barcelona?
The Perseid spectacle will be visible this year throughout the northern hemisphere during the second week of August, according to information from the International Meteor Organization (IMO) can already be observed on some nights in a faint manner depending on light pollution.
It is precisely this wide time window that has made the Perseids one of the best known and most popular phenomena, according to the Astronomy Department of the National Geographic Institute (IGN).
This year, the best time to observe this star shower will be the night of August 11-12. The phenomenon will reach its maximum activity on the night of August 11, although the real peak of activity will be at 7 a.m. Universal Time, which corresponds to 9 a.m. on the Peninsula. On that day, the moon will be in crescent.
This phenomenon may continue to be observed in the following nights.
from where is this star shower best viewed?
The name of the Delta Aquarids comes from their radiant (i.e., the point in the sky from which these stars appear to come when they fall), in this case, the constellation Aquarius. Although the star showers are best seen in the southern hemisphere, from the north they are also seen, although with a lower rate of activity.
From Spain, the radiant mentioned is at our latitude 40º north, so the stars will be visible over the horizon between 12:00 mid night and sunrise.
what are the best places in Barcelona to see the star shower?
To see the Delta Aquarids from Barcelona, it is necessary to look towards the southern part of the sky, the place where the constellation Aquarius is located. They can be observed with the naked eye, without the need of a telescope or any other type of special instrument, whose use in this case may even be counterproductive. What is necessary is to be in a place away from light pollution.
Collserola is probably the best location to see them near Barcelona, but some elevated locations may allow you to do so without leaving the city. The Bunkers del Carmel, Tibidabo and Park Güell are some of the places in the city that offer good views. Within the metropolitan region, the most suitable sites are the Garraf massif, Montserrat, Sant Llorenç del Munt, the Ordal mountains and Montseny.
However, the best way to appreciate the full beauty of the Perseids is to flee the city. The most absurd stairs with the best views of Catalonia, in Montserrat (and all of Montserrat, in general), are a great option. Other nearby outings, such as themountains of the Parc Natural del Montseny or the Parc de Collserola are also useful.
Finally, it is always a good idea to consult the activities of the observatori Fabra, the astronomical viewpoint that we have in the city or the Planetari, to see all the options to see one of the shows
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