Santa drives the international space station

pavb2

Thought I'd put this here to a wider audience as it's coming up to Xmas.

Anyway a work colleague was outside the other night staring up at the sky at about 5.30. He Tells me that he's waiting to see the international space station pass over and handed me a print out of all the dates the station passes over. I think it's this site

http://www.heavens-above.com/PassSummary.aspx?satid=25544&lat=52.3962&lng=-6.9472&loc=New+Ross&alt=2&tz=GMT

http://www.heavens-above.com/main.aspx?lat=52.3962&lng=-6.9472&loc=New+Ross&alt=2&tz=GMT

Sure enough after about 5 mins you could clearly see this bright 'star' smoothly travelling across the sky apparently the sun reflects off the station's panels.

Anyway in the run up to Xmas my colleague is going to be showing his kids Santa travelling across the sky from the North Pole delivering his presents

The_Valeyard

Cool idea OP


But you do know that its Kim Jong Un who delivers all the presents while controlling the international space station at the same time.

pavb2

The_Valeyard wrote: »

Cool idea OP


But you do know that its Kim Jong Un who delivers all the presents while controlling the international space station at the same time.

Ah ha must be a Sony space station then

The_Valeyard

pavb2 wrote: »

Ah ha must be a Sony space station then

He is probablyso ronery and sadry arone.

B.A._Baracus

So when will the next visable showing of it be over Ireland?
It's currently on trek to be visable over Russia soon, right?

Sheep Lover

Santa isn't real.

real is contextual Be it a star moving across the sky that you know is actually a space station -

---

or be it Santa on the back of the English ten pound note (you know you have one - he has a beard - go look)

We can find santa where we need to find one

Grand Moff Tarkin

Wait till he sees what I am parking in orbit.

Slicemeister

Santa Lover wrote: »

Santa isn't real.

What?

EoghanIRL

http://spotthestation.nasa.gov

I use this site for times .

_Whimsical_

Oh! It's passing at around 6:55 pm on Christmas Eve. Don't tell the kids until then, taking them outside to watch it and saying "there he is, looks like he's coming" would be something they'd remember for ever... and would get them to bed without much trouble on that night!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmT0eX4pWOs

EoghanIRL

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

Oh! It's passing at around 6:55 pm on Christmas Eve. Don't tell the kids until then, taking them outside to watch it and saying "there he is, looks like he's coming" would be something they'd remember for ever... and would get them to bed without much trouble on that night!

Just make sure it's not cloudy !!

pavb2

I think its 17.29 and 19.05 tonight

Banjo String

So........ It will appear tonight from 1731......

Where in the sky will it becoming from, north/south East or West!?

2 kids here already getting excited about this

B.A._Baracus

Here is the real time position of it http://iss.astroviewer.net/

Looks like it will pass over south of Ireland. So we all look south? :pac:

EoghanIRL

It usually passes from the west to the east or some variation of that .

pavb2

17.20 Xmas eve is the best time and then 18.57

B.A._Baracus

Just passed off the southern coast of Ireland. But too bright to see.

So 17.20?

Skylinehead

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

Just passed off the southern coast of Ireland. But too bright to see.

So 17.20?

It orbits every 90 minutes so yep :pac:

The Backwards Man

It must be broke down, it's sitting in the one spot up there at the minute.

B.A._Baracus

Any moment now

pavb2

Excellent one tonight bang on time

Donkey Oaty

pavb2 wrote: »

Excellent one tonight bang on time

Great conditions - lovely crescent moon as well.

The Peanut

Cheers to OP for flagging this. Perfect view here on a hill; 3 smallies screaming st Santa. Eldest swears he sees a red nose. Brilliant stuff.

iano.p

Showed the kids they loved it. Was cool to see it so clearly

kub

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

Any moment now

Has anyone seen it?

Jello

Could still see it when it was directly over just west of Rome (was looking at the real-time current position at the same time) when it disappeared behind some trees.. was very faint at that stage though.

Mr. CooL ICE

Was in a garden surrounded by christmas lights and could still see it. Twas fairly bright. Like your bog standard bright star, but faster.

Chucken

I had all the smallies in the estate out. All wired to the moon now
That was brilliant.

Planet X

Yeah. We all saw it a few minutes ago. 5:30 odd.
Stillorgan.

moxin

Lovely clear sky for it, next Santa round at 6:57pm I think slightly lower in the sky

Chucken

moxin wrote: »

Lovely clear sky for it, next Santa round at 6:57pm I think slightly lower in the sky

That means he'll be here soon after that :eek:
Early to bed!!

eviltwin

Very clear skies here so we got to see it, really made my 5 yr olds night so thanks for the heads up guys.

Mech1

Direction to look for the 6.57 pass?

Larianne

That is so cute, all the little ones getting excited. So lovely

EoghanIRL

I think it's south west appearing and then south disappearing . 2 minutes duration .

Not sure on this though .

Edit : just got onto the site . Info is correct .

moxin

Its not as bright this time, look left of the moon now

B.A._Baracus

So if it comes around every 90 minutes does that mean we'll be able to see it again at 8.50pm? Or will it be not visable from Ireland this time?

EoghanIRL

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

So if it comes around every 90 minutes does that mean we'll be able to see it again at 8.50pm? Or will it be not visable from Ireland this time?

Has to be a certain height above the horizon to be seen. Sometimes it's in the earths shadow or it's too bright outside.

The Peanut

The Peanut wrote: »

Cheers to OP for flagging this. Perfect view here on a hill; 3 smallies screaming st Santa. Eldest swears he sees a red nose. Brilliant stuff.

Glad that worked out for you. My girl is 4 and I got:

"That was not Santa Claus"
"Why do you say that?"
"Because he is meant to know when youre sleeping so we shouldnt be able to see him"
"You might have a point there"
"Daddy?"
"Yes?"
"I think we need a bigger telescope"

.......................!