Santa's Favorite Stars
Santa's Favorite Stars
Posted by admin on November 18, 2012
How does Santa Claus find you? By the stars, of course! Come see how he navigates
by the stars with such great accuracy, from the North Pole to your home, as we simulate the winter starfield at the Eddy Street Commons Holiday Happenings. On Saturday, December 1, 2012, the Michiana Astronomical Society (MAS) will have a a Starlab portable planetarium set up in the storefront between Brothers and Urban Outfitters. Under the dome you will discover the important constellations of the northern sky that insure Santa finds his way to your location.
From the North Pole, Santa would see the guide star Polaris high overhead. But as he travels south (from the North Pole, every direction is south) the starry sky would shift slowly with new southern stars coming into view. All through Christmas Eve (and every night) the stars rise and set, too, but the North Star is steady and assures Santa of his path. Going back home is the easy part--head toward Polaris, the North Star.
Though Santa Claus uses the traditional methods of celestial navigation to guide the flight of his reindeer, you can use modern technology to confirm the route Santa is flying. See NORAD Tracks Santa to follow his star-guided travels December 24-25, 2012.
NOTE: Activity (two sheets) added for December 2014 event.
