British astronaut Tim Peake aboard the ISS. (Photo : ESA/NASA)
European Space Agency astronaut Tim Peake apparently dialled the wrong number where he went on saying: Hello, is this planet Earth? The British space explorer was on board the International Space Station where he said that he was not really playing a joke on the woman he called up by accident.
In a tweet, he said, I'd like to apologize to the lady I happen to call by mistake saying, Hello, is this planet Earth? which is not a prank call, just a wrong number!
The International Space Station can actually be spotted crossing the sky after sunset on Christmas Day, flying low over the rooftops, about 250 miles above the surface of the planet, specifically, over the border of France and Spain.
The orbiting space laboratory will appear from the southern region of England where it will then show itself from the west at 4:24 P.M. local time which will continue to become visible for six minutes until it disappears below the southeastern horizon.
The astronaut crew onboard the space station will then be treated to a dazzling sight of Christmas lights as the ISS flies across many European cities after Christmas sunset.
According to Robin Scagell from the Society for Popular Astronomy, the space station can be viewed from London at 23 degrees of its maximum elevation, which is right above the rooftops. He adds that this becomes the brightest star in the sky as it will move rapidly from the west to east, appearing to be a plane at first but of course, an airplane engine noise should be imminent where the space station possesses no sound at all.
If you are waiting for Santa on his sleigh on Christmas day, viewers will be seeing a different flying object on the rooftops this Christmas.
Further up north, the space station will be viewed at a much lower angle in the sky where it can be still become visible from northern Scotland. As seen from southwestern England, the ISS will possess an elevation of about 30 degrees.
Apart from the ISS, a full moon will also reveal itself on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, after the space station completes its journey.
