Astrophotography and "Perseids" with @Juanma_4k

On the weekend of 11 and 12 August we had the pleasure of welcoming a group of astronomy and astrophotography enthusiasts to enjoy the magic of the "Perseids" or Tears of St. Lawrence, one of the most popular astronomical phenomena of the year.

After meeting Juanma (Juanma_4K o @juanmababa) almost a year ago, and delighting us with his photographs of the Milky Way and his passion for the Sierra de La Sagra, we decided to jointly organise an astrophotography workshop to take advantage of the value of the area as one of the cleanest skies in Europe according to UNESCO. In fact, this is one of the main values of the area as a part of the GeoPark of Granada. The conditions this year were exceptional due to the moon phase and the weather, which allowed for two nights of incredible observation and photography.

In addition, we combined the astrophotography workshop with wildlife observation (deer, wild boar, mouflon, etc.) on the farm itself, thus integrating the astronomical values with the biological and ecological values of the area. Of course, the guests stayed during the weekend at the Molino Saúco, and were able to relax in the refreshing house, next to the stream of the Barranco de los Agujeros ravine, thus escaping the heat waves. That day we also had the visit of Carlos, Mar, Noelia and Rodrigo from "To Regenerate with whom we shared concerns and began to outline future collaborations.

The results were truly spectacular, and we were able to learn the technical aspects of taking photographs of the Milky Way, and try to capture the Perseids, with the Pico de La Sagra as a singular geological element that concentrates much of the beauty of the territory. We will continue to organise this type of events and workshops related to astronomy.