Find out where you and your little ones can spot Santa's sleigh in the sky this Christmas!

Santa will be making a special appearance in the night sky ahead of Christmas this year! Head outside on December 21st and you'll be able to spot his sleigh 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!

Some parents may remember the ISS from last year, when it coincidentally appeared on Christmas Eve making it an ideal rare sighting of 'Santa' for excited children around the country. This year, the Christmas icon will be passing over a few days early, and is expected to fly over between 5pm-5:03pm at a low altitude, as it orbits the Earth at an impressive 17500mph.

If you're looking to catch a glimpse of the space station with your loved ones, head out a few minutes early and 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.

For more information on spotting the ISS head to meteorwatch.org or follow @VirtualAstro on Twitter.