The research, conducted by members of the Department of Archaeoastronomy of the Canary Islands Astronomical and Educational Association 'Henrietta Swan Leavitt', has demonstrated that the church's dome was designed so that, on specific dates of the festive calendar, sun rays would fall upon the Cristo de la Vera Cruz and other symbolic elements of the temple.

José Carlos Gil, one of the researchers, explains that the alignment ensures that at 11:15 AM on July 25th, the Day of Santiago Apóstol, sunbeams precisely illuminate the Christ. This phenomenon also occurs, albeit with less intensity, during the spring equinox and the feast of Santiago El Chico.

The study, which began in 2021 and concluded last year, employed soundings, precise measurements, and computational calculations to corroborate the hypothesis. The findings indicate that the temple's orientation, built in the 18th century, was not accidental but responded to deliberate astronomical knowledge to create specific atmospheres through light entry.

Researchers highlight the precision of the orientation in the Church of Santiago in Gáldar, noting that it is unusual to find a similar level of detail in other Christian temples studied, particularly Romanesque and Gothic churches on the mainland. It is suspected that the architect, the same one who completed the Santa Ana Cathedral-Basilica, took the sun's position into account for the placement and design of the place of worship.

The research team plans to continue exploring other religious temples in the Canary Islands, such as the Basilica del Pino and the Church of San Sebastián in Agüimes, to determine if this phenomenon of solar alignment for liturgical purposes is repeated.