SIRIUS A AND B TAKEN BY THE HUBBLE TELESCOPE (courtesy of NASA, ESA)
December sees the shortest day of the year when, on Thursday December 22nd at 0530, the winter solstice occurs and as a result of the tilt in the earth’s axis the sun reaches the lowest point in the heavens – as seen from the Northern Hemisphere. By early New Year the later setting of the sun in Spain becomes noticeable here although it takes a few more days before sunrise is noticeably earlier. Thereafter it becomes quickly light earlier in the mornings and stays light later in the evenings until the end of June and the summer solstice on June 21st.
This year we have a Christmas star viewable in Spain – actually it’s the planet Venus, hanging like a lantern and shining brilliantly in the western twilight sunset. By New Year’s Eve Venus remains visible for about three hours after the sun has set and by then will outshine the highlight of last month, the planet Jupiter.
The historical star in the east in biblical times guided the Magi (Three Wise Men or Kings) to the birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem and to this day the festival of the Three Kings is widely celebrated in Spain.
Epiphany, the festival of the Three Kings (in Spain, Los Reyes Magos) is celebrated on January the 6th and is traditionally the day during which Spanish children receive their gifts.
The Magi travelled to Bethlehem following the eastern star bearing gold, frankincense and myrrh as precious gifts for the new born child. In Spain, Father Christmas may leave children a token gift on the 25th, Christmas Day, but the festival of the Three Kings is most children’s favourite day, especially as Baltasar, who rides a donkey, is traditionally believed to be the one bearing the gifts. This is appropriate as it is on the festival of the Three Kings that Spanish children receive a gift and sometimes their most important one.
THE ADORATION OF THE MAGI BY BARTOLOMÉ ESTABAN MURILLO
There has been much debate as to what the guiding star for the Three Kings actually was. Astronomers have debated and researched the truth over the centuries and variously decided that it was either a comet, an alignment of the three major planets or a supernova (an exploding star).
Of course, the longer nights in Spain provide an excellent opportunity to enjoy the views of Spanish night skies – and the constellation of Orion the Hunter remains a major dominating feature in the southern night sky of Spain. The constellation of Orion rises in the East and remains in full view until just before sunrise.
Just to the left (or east) of Orion is the brightest star in the sky: Sirius or the dog star. Sirius is one on the closest stars to earth and only eight and a half light years away (a light year is approximately six trillion years) and because of its proximity and natural luminosity it twinkles and almost appears to be made of different colours. In the right conditions of good visibility, a low sun and when viewed from altitude, it is possible to see Sirius in the daylight. Sirius is estimated to be twice as massive as our own sun and 25 times as luminous.
Here, in the La Safor region of Valencia Province, the expected shower of shooting stars in Spain on the 17/18th of November was totally invisible – with 48 hours of heavy rain and low mist obscuring the surrounding mountains, never mind the normally clear Spanish night sky!
There is another meteor shower, the Geminid, due on the 13/14th of December but as this coincides with the full moon in Spain the shower will be almost impossible to see in the bright moonlight.
The full moon in December is on the 10th and the new moon on Christmas Eve (the 24th).
Enjoy clear night skies in Spain – and a Happy Christmas…
Iain Henderson - Culture Spain
Iain lives in Spain, was a professional soldier and is a businessman who has lived in many different parts of the world. His lovely villa in Valencia, Spain is available for rent during the summer months.