Facts Are Just as Inspiring and Magical!

Yes folks, it’s that time of year again where we are waiting for Santa Claus to come and visit us on Christmas Eve. We’re all making sure we’re behaving because he knows who’s been naughty and nice so got to get all the nice balanced out with the naughty from the whole year. It’s an exciting time of year, especially for the children in our lives! But I’ve been noticing some fibs being circulated on social media that has made me a little bit cross. 

Now, we all know that Santa delivers his presents using his sleigh and reindeer to people all around the world. It’s a huge task he undertakes every Christmas Eve and he’s on a very tight schedule that he manages to perfect every year now because he knows how all the timezones around the world work and which presents go to which person. He’s a very organised guy! I really wish I had his organisational skills. He also has to wait until everyone is in bed before he brings presents into our houses. This is where I have become a little bit cross…

On Christmas Eve (24th December) between 4:42pm to 4:50pm, the International Space Station will be visible over the UK. Many people on social media are now sharing this information as a way to fib to kids that it’s Santa’s sleigh!!! Now, I think some grown ups forget that kids aren’t stupid! Santa doesn’t deliver presents until we’re all in bed! If he was over the UK at that time, well, then he would be late or going the wrong way to get presents to all the other children in different timezones! And let’s be honest, Santa isn’t stupid either! He’s been delivering presents to kids all over the world for generations!

Source: Wikipedia

Instead of telling fibs to kids, the facts about the International Space Station (ISS) going over the UK is just as exciting! The ISS is a pretty cool place which has had people visiting from all over the world, a very international place. The astronauts on board are carrying out loads of cool experiments and finding out more information about Earth, humans and space! That’s pretty awesome right?

What’s even cooler is that on 24th of December the first British astronaut to go into space, Tim Peake, will be on board the ISS! He’s heading up there in the next couple of weeks too which will be very cool to watch too. We’ve seen many people from all over the world head up into space over the last 50 years or so, but Tim Peake is going to be the first British astronaut!

Source: http://www.kentnews.co.uk

I personally think this is a really big deal. With a lack of skills in STEM subjects, surely opening a discussion about Tim Peake and the ISS is a great gift this holiday season. I think it would be far better not to tell fibs about the ISS being Santa’s Sleigh and instead engage kids with the greatness of space adventures.

Let’s fire the imagination of the next generation in a positive way towards science, technology, engineering and mathematics rather than letting them think that Santa is disorganised and behind his usual impeccable timekeeping.

If you don’t know about Tim Peake or his mission, you can learn more at the Destination Space website: http://www.destinationspace.uk
You can follow Tim Peake on Twitter too! @astro_timpeake