Santa will be making a special appearance in the night sky ahead of Christmas this year! There are several opportunities to spot Father Christmas in his sleigh this weekend or, to be more exact, the International Space Station gliding above Earth. The ISS will be crossing over the UK in the lead-up to Christmas, appearing as a bright light in the sky – so if you're looking for a fun family night out, head out into the garden with your little ones and let them marvel as 'Santa' passes by!
This year, Santa will be passing over the UK a week before Christmas, every day from Friday 15 to Sunday 17 December. His sleight orbits the Earth at an impressive 17,500mph so make sure you're outside with a few minutes to spare so you don't miss him!
GALLERY: The best family events in the UK this Christmas
If you're looking to catch a glimpse of the space station with your loved ones, position yourself so you're looking out to the westerly sky, as the ISS will be travelling from west to east. You don't need any special equipment to watch it fly by – it can be seen by the naked eye. 'Santa's Sleigh' will look like a bright light – it won't have any flashing lights so it can be easy to differentiate from passing airplanes. These are the all-important times you need to know for 2017!
MORE: The best Christmas markets around the UK
Friday 15 December - 4.56pm for three minutes - look south-west
Saturday 16 December - 5.41pm for one minute - look south-south-west
Sunday 17 December - 4.49pm for two minutes - look south-south-west
For more information on spotting the ISS head to meteorwatch.org or follow @VirtualAstro on Twitter.
