The Perseids (Tears of St. Lawrence) from Collserola
On Monday the 12th of August, the natural park will offer the ideal location from which to observe the popular meteor shower
The phenomenon known as the Perseids, or Tears of St. Lawrence, is a meteor shower whose radiant appears to lie in the Perseus constellation and is provoked by the cosmic dust of the tail of the Swift-Tuttle comet. As the path of this tail intersects with the Earth’s orbit each year, it generates particles which pass through the atmosphere at such speeds that they generate spectacular trails of light.
The explanation for the moniker for this cosmic phenomenon is as simple as it is poetic. Saint Lawrence shed tears as he was being burned at the stake at precisely this time of the year, and throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period the meteor shower was linked to this religious event, inspiring the belief that the heavens were crying along with the saint.
The Perseids phenomenon is one of the most popular and most observed meteor showers, due to the time of year it transpires, from the 16th of July to the 24 of August, reaching its peak between the 10th and 12th of August.
As part of its summer activities, the Parque Natural de la Sierra de Collserola offers optimum conditions for observing the natural phenomenon on Monday the 12th. Prior inscription is required and places are limited.