DURING JULY AND AUGUST COME TO LA HITA TO ENJOY THE ARRIVAL OF THE PERSEIDES TO OUR SKIES

From mid-July to the end of August we will be able to see the famous shooting stars of the Perseids, and although their maximum peak of activity will fall in the early hours of 12 to 13 August, AstroHita will be organising this year’s night of observation for the general public on the Saturday closest to the maximum, which will be 13 August.

Shooting stars can appear anywhere in the sky, it is important to take in as much of the sky as possible so that you don’t miss any. Our vision is not able to see the whole sky dome so we will have to choose an area looking to the: North, South, East, West or Zenith. Remember that the point in the sky from which they all seem to come from is the radiant, so it is important to locate the constellation Perseus to see if the direction of the fleeting stars converges on it. This will help us to discriminate which are Perseids and which are not. On the night of 12 and 13 August the radiant will be peeping over the north-eastern horizon at about 22:00.

DON’T MISS OBJECTIVE THE MOON, SELENITE ALPINISM, AN ALTERNATIVE THAT COMPLETES THE NUMEROUS ACTIVITIES PROPOSED FROM THIS ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY

On this trip we will sail along the eastern shore of Mare Imbrium, an interesting cruise that will take us to some of the most surprising places where we will be able to see the wild “swell” that filled the basin of this immense sea. We will skirt the coast of the Tenerife Mountains to the Cassini Pass and from here we will reach the lunar Apennines, the highest mountains we can see on the visible face of our satellite. A dizzying cruise!

“NIGHTS DISCOVER” ENABLES INDIVIDUALS TO LEARN AND LEARN ABOUT THE INS AND OUTSIDE OF THE SKIES AND THE FUNCTION OF THE ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORIES

The “NIGHTS DISCOVER” are activities aimed at all audiences who wish to experience a night at an astronomical observatory, see how it works and of course enjoy the experience of night-time observation with telescopes. They are scheduled on Saturdays at or near the new moon, although on the occasions when we want to see the moon we will do so in the crescent phase.

The activity includes a guided visit to the facilities of the Hita Astronomy Complex followed by the experience of direct contact with the sky, with a recognition of the constellations and planets as well as observation with telescopes. The objects we will see will depend on the time of year and whether there are any relevant astronomical events on that night. It will last approximately 2 hours.

A CULTURAL SPACE TO ENJOY SCIENCE

Currently, to meet the growing demand for informative activities and with the particularity that all the instruments have been developed in the centre itself, the La Hita Astronomical Complex has set up a special area of the observatory and has installed two unique telescopes to get closer to the universe.

A PLACE FOR SOLAR SYSTEM RESEARCH

The La Hita Astronomical Complex also has areas and instruments dedicated to research, including a 770 mm diameter robotic telescope, considered the largest and most advanced in Castilla-La Mancha; a 400 mm diameter telescope specially designed to record phenomena on the Moon; and an automatic station for the detection of fireballs and meteorites that constantly monitors the fall of fragments from other worlds. These are three lines of research dependent on the Instituto Astrofísico de Andalucía-CSIC.

A MEETING POINT FOR EDUCATION AND RECREATIONAL SCIENCE FOR ALL

A didactic space has been built, mainly aimed at the educational fabric of Castilla-La Mancha. In which teacher training and the development of activities and workshops for pupils stand out. It can be visited at any time of the year. In this way, the tourist and leisure aspect of the area will be promoted, and as a result, the area will be revitalised.