Santa drives the international space station

pavb2 · 19-12-2014 11:46pm #1

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 · 19-12-2014 11:51pm

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 · 19-12-2014 11:56pm

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 · 20-12-2014 12:00am

pavb2 wrote: »

Ah ha must be a Sony space station then

He is probablyso ronery and sadry arone.

B.A._Baracus · 20-12-2014 1:29am

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 · 20-12-2014 1:35am

Santa isn't real.

20-12-2014 1:37am

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 · 20-12-2014 1:39am

Wait till he sees what I am parking in orbit.

Slicemeister · 20-12-2014 1:41am

Santa Lover wrote: »

Santa isn't real.

What?

EoghanIRL · 20-12-2014 1:49am

http://spotthestation.nasa.gov

I use this site for times .

_Whimsical_ · 20-12-2014 1:51am

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!

20-12-2014 1:52am

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

EoghanIRL · 20-12-2014 2:04am

_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 · 20-12-2014 2:31pm

I think its 17.29 and 19.05 tonight

Banjo String · 20-12-2014 3:25pm

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 · 20-12-2014 6:02pm

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 · 22-12-2014 11:24am

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

pavb2 · 22-12-2014 10:55pm

17.20 Xmas eve is the best time and then 18.57

B.A._Baracus · 24-12-2014 4:47pm

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

So 17.20?

Skylinehead · 24-12-2014 6:09pm

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 · 24-12-2014 6:11pm

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

B.A._Baracus · 24-12-2014 6:20pm

Any moment now

pavb2 · 24-12-2014 6:26pm

Excellent one tonight bang on time

Donkey Oaty · 24-12-2014 6:27pm

pavb2 wrote: »

Excellent one tonight bang on time

Great conditions - lovely crescent moon as well.

The Peanut · 24-12-2014 6:27pm

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 · 24-12-2014 6:28pm

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

kub · 24-12-2014 6:29pm

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

Any moment now

Has anyone seen it?

Jello · 24-12-2014 6:30pm

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.