Every Christmas Santa Claus is remembered by parents all over the globe. NASA encourages you to look up at tonight’s sky for the chance to “see him fly”.
This will not be the red man, it’ll actually be the International Space Station. It speeds around the Earth at 17,000 mph, orbiting 250 miles high, and is a symbol of the International Space Station.
You can see the ISS from your naked eyes. It’s visible even without binoculars.
Space family traditions are created by those aboard the ISS. They could create 16 such traditions on December 25, since the station orbits Earth approximately every 90 minutes.
Most of the UK should see it at Christmas time at around 05.15 GMT. It travels east to south east in about two minutes and then moves west south west at 06.48 GMT.
Parents around the globe do their best to keep Santa’s magic alive every Christmas. NASA recommends that you look up tonight in order to see him fly.
This will not be the red man, it’ll actually be the International Space Station. It speeds about the Earth at 17,000 mph, orbiting 250 miles high, and spins around the Earth.
NASA claims that the best place to see the ISS is in a dark area with little to no light pollution.
NASA stated that it was visible to the naked eye and looks just like a plane speeding along at tens of thousands per hour.
A lack of blinking lights makes it easy to differentiate the ISS and a plane.
Space station astronauts will video call their loved ones across the Earth. They can also celebrate together with fellow station personnel.
“Being with friends in space is a great experience. It’s a wonderful job. In a NASA video, the astronauts stated that it was a “special Christmas.”
On Wednesday, the crew of the ISS enjoyed a dinner with turkey and Christmas presents.
You also got science gear in your holiday haul, like a British experiment that tested how the muscles react to stimulation when placed under low gravity.
Total weight of the 6,500 lb ship was research supplies for astronauts and other station personnel. NASA says that this will include presents and a Christmas meal.
| Datum | Visible | Max Height* | Appearances | It is not there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat Dec 25, 5:15 AM | 2 minutes | 30° | 30° above ESE | 10° above E |
| Sat Dec 25, 6:48 AM | 6 minutes | 87° | 14° above W | 10° above E |
| Sun Dec 26, 4:29 AM | < 1 min | 10° | 10° above E | 10° above E |
| Sun Dec 26, 6:02 AM | 4 minutes | 75° | 55° above SW | 10° above E |
| Mon Dec 27, 5:16 AM | 2 minutes | 33° | 33° above E | 10° above E |
| Mon Dec 27, 6:49 AM | 6 minutes | 85° | 16° above W | 10° above E |
| Tue Dec 28, 4:30 AM | < 1 min | 10° | 10° above E | 10° above E |
| Tue Dec 28, 6:03 AM | 4 minutes | 87° | 56° above W | 10° above E |
| Wed Dec 29, 5:17 AM | 2 minutes | 31° | 31° above E | 10° above E |
| Wed Dec 29, 6:50 AM | 6 minutes | 83° | 18° above W | 10° above ESE |
| Thu Dec 30, 4:30 AM | < 1 min | 11° | 11° above E | 10° above E |
| Thu Dec 30, 6:04 AM | 4 minutes | 88° | 68° above W | 10° above E |
| Fri Dec 31, 5:17 AM | 2 minutes | 31° | 31° above E | 10° above E |
| Fri Dec 31, 6:50 AM | 6 minutes | 57° | 18° above W | 10° above ESE |
| Sat, January 1, 2019, 4:31 AM | < 1 min | 11° | 11° above E | 10° above E |
| Sat, January 1, 2006 at 6:04 am | 4 minutes | 72° | 54° above WSW | 10° above ESE |
| Sun Jan 2, 5:17 AM | 2 min | 31° | 31° above ESE | 10° above ESE |
| Sun Jan 2, 6:50 AM | 5 minutes | 32° | 15° above W | 10° above SE |
| Mon January 3, at 4:31 AM | < 1 min | 9° | 9° above E | 10° above E |
| Mon January 3, 06:04 | 3 minutes | 44° | 43° above SW | 10° above SE |
| Tue January 4, 2005, 5:18 AM | 2 min | 28° | 28° above SE | 10° above ESE |
| Tue, January 4, 2006 at 6:51 am | 4 minutes | 17° | 12° above WSW | 10° above S |
| Wed, January 5, at 6:04 AM | 3 minutes | 24° | 24° above SW | 10° above SSE |
| Thu Jan 6, 5:18 AM | 1 minute | 18° | 18° above SSE | 10° above SE |
| These directions and times are calculated using a London viewer, but may vary depending on the location. The NASA website has all details about observation times, availability and other information. | ||||
Space family traditions are created by those aboard the ISS. They could create 16 such traditions on December 25, when the station orbits Earth approximately every 90 minutes.
‘I won’t get in front of Santa Claus and tell you what’s going to be sent up, but we are going to have some gifts for the crew,’ said NASA’s space station program manager, Joel Montalbano.
“We are also planning to fly special Christmas foods.
So you can see turkey, green beans and we also have some fish, some seafood, which has been smoked.
“We have everyone’s favorite fruitcake.
NASA isn’t alone in the Santa Tracking mission.
NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, a bi-national agency run by Canada and the US, is also monitoring the path of the jolly gift giver.
Over 60 years ago, NORAD (and its predecessor, CONAD), have been tracking Santa’s flight on Christmas Eve.
They start tracking around midnight on December 23rd and will keep the user updated with the current location of him at any moment during his journey to distribute toys worldwide to all children.
This is a public outreach program that runs throughout December. Data can be accessed through Google apps and the NORAD website, as well as over the phone.
EXPLAINED – THE $100 BILLION INTERNATIONAL SPACES STATION SLITS 250 MILES AROUND THE EARTH
The International Space Station (ISS) is a $100 billion (£80 billion) science and engineering laboratory that orbits 250 miles (400 km) above Earth.
It is manned permanently by rotating astronaut and cosmonaut crews, since November 2000.
Crews have mostly come from Russia and America, though the Japanese space agency JAXA has also sent astronauts.
Since its inception, the International Space Station (ISS) has been continuously occupied by astronauts for over 20 years. It has seen numerous upgrades and new modules.
Research conducted aboard the ISS often requires one or more of the unusual conditions present in low Earth orbit, such as low-gravity or oxygen.
ISS studies have investigated human research, space medicine, life sciences, physical sciences, astronomy and meteorology.
The US space agency, NASA, spends about $3 billion (£2.4 billion) a year on the space station program, with the remaining funding coming from international partners, including Europe, Russia and Japan.
So far 244 individuals from 19 countries have visited the station, and among them eight private citizens who spent up to $50 million for their visit.
A debate continues about what will happen to the station after 2025. Some of its original structures may eventually die.
Russia, which is an important partner for the station’s construction, will launch its orbital platform in that same period. Axiom Space (a private firm) plans to also send modules directly to the station.
NASA, ESA and JAXA, as well as Canada’s Space Agency (CSA), are working in tandem to create a space station orbiting the moon. Russia and China also have similar projects, which would include a base at the surface.