20/08/2026
Last week we were also treated to the annual Perseids Meteor Shower, one of the most prolific meteor showers in our calendar. ✨
This year was particularly good as it coincided with a new moon, giving us wonderfully dark skies. So, after the eclipse, I ventured north to Ucero Castle to see what I could see.
Over four hours I watched some fabulous bright streaks flash across the sky and managed to capture these 23 over the castle itself.
But what makes a meteor shower so much more spectacular than an ordinary night of stargazing?
We see the occasional meteor throughout the year as tiny pieces of space debris collide with our atmosphere. But during a meteor shower, Earth is travelling through a much denser stream of debris.
For the Perseids, that debris was left behind by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. As the comet travels around the Sun, it leaves behind a trail of tiny particles of dust and rock, and every August, Earth passes through this trail.
Those tiny particles hit our atmosphere at incredible speeds, heating the air around them and creating the brief flashes of light we call meteors.
So, when you're watching the Perseids, you're watching tiny remnants of a comet's journey through space, burning up above our heads.
23 fleeting moments of light, created by debris from a comet, captured above a 12th-century castle in Spain. 🌌
Not a bad way to spend four hours under the stars. ❤️
A big thank you to David Rubio Wood Crafts for sharing his spot on the rock with me - always lovely to share a dark sky and a little bit of space with fellow stargazer. 🌌
