NASA has revealed when you’ll be able to see ‘Santa’s sleigh’ this Christmas

For those of you wanting an extra bit of magic this Christmas, NASA has detailed when exactly you’ll be able to spot Santa’s sleigh in the sky.

Okay, it won’t actually be Santa’s sleigh, but I promise you all it’s the next best thing; NASA’s International Space Station. 

Yep, the famous ISS will be visible to the naked eye just in time for the festive period, and NASA has given the exact times and locations as to when you’ll be able to see it so you can tell the kids that it’s Santa starting his Christmas mission.

NASA said in a statement: “It is the third brightest object in the sky and easy to spot if you know when to look up.

@nasa / Unsplash

“Visible to the naked eye, it looks like a fast-moving plane only much higher and travelling thousands of miles an hour faster!”

And you won’t be getting it mixed up with any passing airplanes because, according to NASA, the space station will not change direction and will not have flashing lights

And, if your kids are a little unimpressed with the ISS standing in as Santa’s sleigh, you can simply explain that its mission is to enable the long-term exploration of space and provide benefits to people on Earth… Kind of like Santa, if you look at it that way. 

Anyway…

@murpaz / Unsplash

Here’s where and when you’ll be able to see ‘Santa’s Sleigh’:

Saturday December 18th at 7:32am: Visible for five minutes moving from the South to the South East.

Sunday December 19th at 6:45am: Visible for three minutes moving from the South-South East to the East South East.

Tuesday December 21st 6:46am: Visible for six minutes moving from the South-South West to the East.

Wednesday December 22nd 5:59am: Visible for five minutes moving from the South to the East South East.

Thursday December 23rd 5:14am: Visible for two minutes moving from the South-South East to the East South East

Thursday Dec 23rd 6:47am: Visible for six minutes moving from the South West to the East. 

For more information, you can download the ISS tracking app on the App Store of Google Play Store, or visit the NASA website.