The island of La Palma, known as ‘La Isla Bonita’, is one of the best places in the world for stargazing. Our guided tours company offers you a unique experience to enjoy the sky, especially during the Perseids. 2024 is the year!

What are the Perseids?

A Natural Spectacle. The Perseids are one of the most impressive meteor showers of the year. They occur every August when the Earth passes through the remnants of the Swift-Tuttle comet. This phenomenon offers a spectacular sight of dozens of meteors illuminating the night sky. Many of them are barely a trace, but even if you only see 4 or 5 shooting stars in one night it is worth it.

La Palma: the ideal place to see them

La Palma’s privileged location, combined with its low light pollution, makes it the perfect setting for observing the Perseids. The World Biosphere Reserve and the 1988 Sky Law protect these skies, guaranteeing an unparalleled viewing experience.

Guided stargazing tours

We offer guided stargazing tours adapted to all levels of interest and knowledge. But we dedicate more time to the Perseids. We can see the sky, and learn to identify the constellations, while we wait for the shooting stars.

Unique itineraries during the Perseids 2024

During the Perseids 2024 season, our routes focus on maximising the visibility of this astronomical event. Everyone wants to see them, but if we are in crowded places, the lights of vehicles and people will not let us see them. So this time we will walk away from the usual places.

The events will take place on the nights of the 11th and 12th of August.

Why choose us?

Professional and Passionate Guides

Our team is composed of guides with a vast experience in astronomy and a deep love for the island of La Palma. They will provide you with fascinating information about the universe and the history of stargazing on the island.

Book your star adventure today

Don’t miss the opportunity to live a unique experience of star tourism in La Palma. Whether to observe the impressive Perseids or to enjoy a starry night at any time of the year, our guided tours are the best way to connect with the cosmos.

Join us!

Book your guided tour now on our website. Reservation link for this event: https://lapalmastars.com/astro-eventos/

Summary of the special event Perseids 2024. August 11th and 12th

If you want to enjoy the Perseids this summer, this is your chance. We will enjoy the sunset and later the star shower. We will make a small observation with binoculars and interpretation of the constellations with our Starlight guides.

Meeting point: our office in Los Cancajos.

Rental car or own car required. No transport is included

Location of the activity: depending on weather conditions.

Duration: 4 hours + travel time by car to the car park.

Warm clothing is required.

We recommend bringing binoculars if you have them, a torch, food and water.

We will walk a maximum of 2 km at sunset and 2 km at night for the return. Not suitable for people with reduced mobility or small children.

Here you will find the booking calendar. Departure time 18:30.

Bookings for this event here: https://lapalmastars.com/astro-eventos/

General info about perseids can easily be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perseids

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Moreover, as long as the circumstances and the safety of the people allow us, we will continue working and we will not suspend our activities despite the volcanic eruption on La Palma. We want to contribute with what we do best, and that is: work. So we will continue to do it with more passion than ever and while this crisis lasts, all the employees of this company and AstroLaPalma SL, we will donate our full benefits to the neighbors who have been directly affected. We will also contribute with our volunteer work and encouraging anyone who can donate to do so. Out of empathy, out of solidarity and because we can only get out of this misfortune together. If we suspend activities and sit idly by, we will not push financially. As long as it’s safe for people and the sky is in the right conditions, we’ll keep working.

We will greatly appreciate donations to the Island Council for the victims: https://lapalma.es/es/el-cabildo-habilita-vias-para-centralizar-las-donaciones-economicas-de-particulares-y-empresas-para

AstroLaPalma team. Astroturism and services for amateur photographers and astronomers.

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In recent years it seems to be fashionable to be able and to know how to photograph the Milky Way. No wonder it is in fashion and certainly a good trend…. After all, dark, starry skies are exceptionally beautiful and due to light pollution they have become scarce. On the island of La Palma, it is still possible to find dark skies easily and, in fact, it is considered one of the best places in the world to stargaze. It has also become a mecca for astrotourism, observe stars and night photography as the whole island has exceptional landscapes for this practice. If you are planning a trip to La Palma or anywhere else with dark skies and want to do nightscape photography, you need to be prepared. Here are the basics you need to know.

Recommended equipment for nightscape photography: preparation.

There is no room for improvisation when it comes to equipment for night photography. You must be well prepared, as night sessions usually take place in inaccessible or distant locations to avoid light pollution.

This is the equipment I recommend for night photography.

• Camera. The type of camera will depend on your budget as it is usually an expensive equipment. However, you will need a bright (fast) lens and a camera that allows at least 3200 ISO and long exposure. In general terms make sure the camera has: manual settings, RAW format, bulb mode, if possible full frame, noise reduction option and Live View mode (for manual focus).
• A wide-angle lens: 24mm, 14mm are ideal.
• A telephoto lens (if you want to photograph the moon).
• An Intervalometer.
• Warm, comfortable clothing and footwear.
• Spare batteries.
• A sturdy tripod.
• Memory cards.
• Camera backpack with different compartments (ideally waterproof).
• Headlamp, preferably red or white/red.
• Mobile phone with a charged battery.

Of course, once you have the right equipment, you need to know how to use it. It is best to start in the daytime, getting to know the camera settings (functions and changing parameters) and practising, as well as learning how to access and modify the menu and how to handle the camera in the dark. Other considerations are that it is best never to go alone to take pictures at night, simply for safety reasons.

What to photograph in the night sky?

Once you have your equipment, you need to plan what you are going to photograph – the Milky Way? constellations? It is vital to know what you want to photograph, as well as the time of night when you can do it. Photographing the winter sky is not the same as photographing the summer sky. Just as you can’t get the same results if there is a moon. Therefore, it is vital to have the right equipment and to have a basic knowledge of the sky to know where the Milky Way is and at what time you can see it, or how to find the North Star if you want to do a startrail for example. I recommend accessing the chosen location before sunset to prepare the best composition, make sure there are no obstacles or dangerous terrain.

Tips for nightscape photography.

• Knowing how to take advantage of moments of light. In landscape photography at night, there is hardly ever enough light, so a dim crescent moon or a small background light, such as a lighthouse, can completely change a night landscape. Also, in the dark, colours do not appear the same as they do during the day, so a dim light or illumination changes the landscape again.
• Changing perspective and angle
• RAW format photography
• Natural lighting. This goes for moon or sunset.
• Minimise ISO. A beginner’s mistake is to raise the ISO as high as possible. However cameras have their best dynamic range much lower, at 1600 ISO for example (do check the manual of your camera). And it is at this point that you get the best colours of the night sky.
• Take care of the composition.
• Know what hyperfocal is and know how to use it.
• Focus: The focus for stars is always the same for any given lens and is not necessarily the infinity. Focus in manual in liveview and once you have it tape the focus wheel. There is nothing worse than thinking your photos are in focus and coming home after a long night and your photos are unfocusses!
• The Golden Rule (combination of ISO, aperture and exposure time that it works best. See more on our following post).

Landscape night photography made in La Palma. Instagram: @lapalmastars.

More photo on our  Photo Gallery.

If you are interested in taking a specialised course in night landscape photography, we recommend the webinars of our partner Babak Tafreshi, National Geographic photographer and president of TWAN.

La entrada Nightscape photography: preparation. se publicó primero en AstroLaPalma.

We have also added here some sites of astronomical interest that are worth visiting, such as the Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory. Please note that the Astrophysical Observatory of La Palma is not open at night. However, you can access one of the visits of the Observatory in the mornings or simply enjoying the views the Observatory from the outside. Reservations for the Observatory visits can be made here (note: there may be restrictions due to covid19).

The viewpoints are located in different areas of the island, at different heights above sea level and orientation. In such a way that the user can adapt to the weather that day and the microclimates of the island.

Each viewpoint has interpretative panels on subjects related to astronomy, observation of the night sky, observation of the moon, recognition of the main constellations and stars such as the North star (Polaris star), etc. In addition, the astronomical viewpoints have parking facilities.

We recommend:

•  red torch (never white).
• When approaching the viewpoints, please be careful with the lights of your vehicle.
• Warm clothing, even in summer.

Map of the viewpoints and astronomy sites of interest to stargaze in La Palma.

Lists of sites (in bold those considered more interesting):

• Mirador San Bartolo (Puntallana)
• Mirador del Molino (Barlovento)
• Mirador Montaña Buracas (Garafía)
• Mirador de Miraflores (Puntagorda)
• Mirador La Muralla (Tijarafe)
• Mirador Amateur Pico de la Cruz (Km31 on road Lp4)
• Mirador al Infinito (Km31 on road Lp4)
• Mirador Barranco del Carmen (Santa Cruz de La Palma)
• Mirador Parque de Los Álamos (Breña Alta)
• Mirador Llano de Las Ventas (Breña Baja)
• Mirador Llano del Jable (El Paso)
• Mirador Montaña Las Toscas (Mazo)
• Mirador Volcán de San Antonio (Fuencaliente)
• Mirador de Mendo (El Paso), closed to the public due to construction work.
• Mirador de Las Hoyas (Los Llanos de Aridane)
• Mirador San Borondón (Tazacorte)
• Astronomical site of interest – Observatorio del Roque de Los Muchachos.
• Astronomical site of interest – Faro de Fuencaliente (lighthouse).

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The year 2020 has meant a change in the world view for the vast majority of people since the incidence of covid19 has made us rethink the way we live and travel. Some places have remained almost immune to this, such as the island of La Palma, where the number of covid cases has been the lowest in Europe.

In an era after coronavirus, La Palma is a safe and healthy destination. New ways of travelling are here, with longer stays, to places where avoiding crowds are possible and  where work (teleworking) and travel can be combined. This is undoubtedly a change brought by covid health measures together with climate change, that will contribute to sustainable tourism. Carbon footprint will decrease with less customers, but with longer stays for each of them.

If you want to enjoy a nature destination away from mass tourism, come to La Isla Bonita.

Ecotourism in La Palma. Ecotourism guide #lapalma
What to do in La Palma?

#hiking #volcanoes #stars #reserve #biosphere #malvasia #gofio

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Astronomy Picture of the Day (NASA) 15/12/2020. Sebastian Voltmer.

What is so special about the conjunction?

Because of its closeness, the exceptional nature of the event and the fact that it takes place almost before Christmas, the event is already being called the “Star of Bethlehem“. There are many studies on what could have been the “star” seen more than 2000 years ago. It could have been a supernova, as Kepler postulated a few centuries ago (although there is no observable remnant that can be attributed to it). Or it could be a comet, like Halley’s comet that appeared in the sky in 12 BC, several years before the plausible date of Jesus’ birth. However, the downside to this second hypothesis is that comets in ancient times were very badly regarded as omens of calamity. In turn, the star of Bethlehem was seen (and it is still seen and expected) with joy, so the hypothesis of a comet is not widely accepted.

However, there is a third hypothesis, the hypothesis is that it was a planetary alignment, like the one we will have in a few days. The hypothesis is that there are multiple planets located nearby: a planetary conjunction. In fact, there were several strange encounters between prominent planets in the right period of time.

In the year 7 B.C., Jupiter and Saturn met three times. One year later, they joined Mars. And then between 3 and 2 B.C., what followed was a fantastic and unusual sequence of conjunctions: Saturn + Mercury, Saturn + Venus, Venus + Jupiter and Venus + Mercury. To finish again, Jupiter with Venus (the two brightest planets). And this time they came so close that they could appear as one to the human eye, seen from the Earth.

This year, 2020, we will have a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, in which they will almost appear as one to the human eye. It will be possible to observe the two planets together at the same time, through a telescope. And it will also be such a close conjunction that the last time they were so close was in the 13th century.

It will undoubtedly be something worth seeing. And also an event, which will not be repeated in our lives. You can’t miss it!

¿How to book?

Sources: 1. https://www.lavanguardia.com/ciencia/20201214/6112869/jupiter-saturno-apareceran-planeta-doble-primera-vez-siglos.html. 2. https://www.abc.es/ciencia/abci-y-si-estrella-belen-fueron-realidad-planetas-juntos-201712201051_noticia.html. 3. Wikipedia. 4. Apod.

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The Promenade of Stars of Science is an original idea of Anselmo Pestana, the President of the Island Council back in 2015, when the project started. The Cabildo Insular de la Palma, the Santa Cruz Town Hall and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias are participating in the project. Unfortunately, the Prominade has taken 5 years to be carried out as first, the remodelling of the beach had to be completed. The event held this December 2020 has revealed the Stars that currently make up the “Paseo de la Ciencia”. The four scientists awarded have personal and professional links with the island, hence, have been the first ones to be acknowledged.

Stephen Hawking

The first star is by Stephen Hawking, a renowned physicist and cosmologist linked to the Starmuss Festival held on La Palma and who was last on the island in 2016, shortly before his death. Hawking, who was the first to receive his star in 2016, is the author of many of the discoveries in modern astrophysics, such as the new theory of space-time and black hole radiation (“Hawking” radiation). Hawking worked throughout his life to unravel the laws that govern the universe and, together with Roger Penrose, he demonstrated that Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity implies that space and time must have a beginning, which would be the theory of the Big Bang, and an end, within black holes.

Alexei Leonov

The second star was for cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov, who has also visited the island several times; Leonov was the first man to go on a space walk, on 18 March 1965, having been part of the first group of 20 cosmonauts in the Soviet space programme, set up in 1960. He was also the Soviet team commander of the first joint mission between the Soviet Union and the United States, Apollo-Soyuz.

Takaaki Kajita

The third Star (awarded in 2017) went to Takaaki Kajita of Japan, director of the Cosmic Neutrinos Centre at the Institute for Cosmic Ray Research (ICRR), who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2015, along with Arthur B. McDonald for their research on neutrino oscillations. Their research showed that these subatomic particles have mass. As the Swedish Academy’s prize jury pointed out, “their studies changed the understanding of the innermost behaviour of matter and may be crucial for understanding the Universe”.

Kajita is currently leading a major international collaboration project, the “Cherenkov Telescope Array“, which aims to study the gamma radiation that reaches the Earth and how it is produced. La Palma is the northern hemisphere headquarters for this project. Kajita laid the first stone of the prototype (LST) of the 23 telescopes projected on La Palma, just one week after receiving her Nobel Prize.

Samuel Ting

The fourth and last Star awarded to date (2018) has been for Samuel Ting, Nobel Laureate in Physics in 1976. The American particle physicist of Chinese origin belongs to the prestigious MIT in the United States, and has been a professor there since 1969. He received the Nobel Prize in 1976 for the discovery of the J particle, which once again consolidated the standard particle theory. Samuel Ting leads a project for the observation of neutrinos on the Space Station, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-0), with the aim of testing fundamental questions in modern physics including the existence of antimatter, the origin of comic rays and dark matter.

This collaborative project, involving more than 600 physicists, has collected 80 billion cosmic rays in 10 years. Ting’s team also aims to test whether the Big Bang model is true, when it predicts that there should be an equivalent amount of matter and antimatter in the Universe. For the moment, astronomers have not been able to find the antimatter and this is one of the great mysteries of the Universe. This is why many physicists believe that primordial antimatter simply does not exist. AMS-0 could prove whether it exists, or if on the contrary, a completely new theory is needed to explain antimatter or the Big Bang.

Next….Jocelyn Bell

It has been awarded the fifth Star, but unfortunately it has not yet been delivered due to the covid19. The Star is for Jocelyn Bell, the discoverer of the first radio pulsar signal in 1967, what has been an undoubted contribution to science. We will have a special article dedicated to Jocelyn Bell soon.

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With this experience we will take you to one of the Astronomical viewpoints of the island of La Palma, chosen a few hours before the departure according to the weather conditions of the moment.

DATE: 13/12/2020.

• Includes transport by bus to and from various places
• Qualified Astrophysical Guide
• Use of amateur telescopes
• Language: English or Spanish

The activity of Geminidas is organised in collaboration with LaPalmatransfer.com.

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The island of La Palma, “the beautiful island” of the Canary Islands is one of the best places in the world for stargazing. It is not necessary to be an expert if you wish to learn about constellations and to enjoy a starry night. In La Palma it can be very easy and entertaining and you could do it, for example, in one of our astronomy tours. Did you know about them?

But why is the sky of La Palma so beautiful and transparent? There are many factors that allow this: humidity, altitude, climate, low air pollution… La Palma is a pioneer protecting dark skies. From 1988 has a law that protects against light pollution (Low of the Sky). It is aimed to minimize light pollution and for this even flora helps! In fact, it was the world’s first Starlight Reserve, a UNESCO certification that certifies the ideal conditions for observing the sky for everyone, not just professionals, and it guarantees its protection.

In any case … why look for even more reasons to come to La Palma? The most important thing is that the sky and landscapes are beautiful that are worth seeing any thime! Nothing equals how you can feel almost touching the stars or walking along a volcanic sand beach on this island. In a single day you can be in a volcanic desert in the south and see the only active salt flats of the Canary Islands (Salinas de Fuencaliente), walk through a tropical rainforest in the north (Los Tilos or the Forest of La Galga), walking at the National Park (Taburiente National Park), go swimming or climb above the clouds to see stars …. Only a few places in the world offer so many contrasts and beautiful landscapes in such a small area.

La Palma is a mini-continent that never ceases to surprise.

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Light pollution is defined as the introduction of artificial light to an ecosystem (into naturally dark situations), degrading its natural state with the emission of light of different intensities, directions, spectral range and/or unnecessarily varying a light/dark schedule (ie. having lights on a empty office building or streets lights on after certain times).

It is obvious that humans need and use artificial light during the night just…well…simply to live. But the use of artificial light should be in equilibrium with the nocturnal life, energy efficiency and health (avoiding the alteration of sleep patterns and the effect of artificial light at night on some cancers). We should try to minimize the impact of light pollution reducing the negative effects by designing better street lighting, scheduling of street lights, etc.

Light pollution increases the background brightness of the sky by reflecting and diffusion artificial light into the gases and particles in the air. This results in a reduction of visibility of the stars and other celestial objects.

The Sky Law in the Canary Islands (1989) controls gas emissions to the atmosphere on the island, as well as light pollution and air communications routes. The aim of the law is to have transparent and dark sky, with good (if not outstanding) quality for both amateur and professional astronomy. As a result, La Palma is a Dark Reserve (a Starlight Reserve) and thanks to this it has developed a Sustainable Tourism Industry based on the sky. There are many options for astrotourism in La Palma, we recommend you to enjoy the sky in one of our astronomy tours.

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