Cork’s Big Dish has been tracking Santa for 40 years (and it’s in ELFordstown)
Ever wondered how Santa navigates the globe in one night?
The answer lies in a little place in Midleton, right here in Cork.
This Christmas, The Big Dish, Ireland’s 32-meter radio telescope at the National Space Centre, is celebrating 40 years of tracking Santa’s annual journey around the world.
Located in the aptly-named Elfordstown in East Cork, the dish is a cornerstone of Ireland’s space communications history. Originally built in 1984 by Eircom to send trans-Atlantic calls to North America via satellite, it has also been used to listen for the birth of stars in the cosmos and as a teaching device.
However, each Christmas Eve, the illuminated Dish takes on a mission of festive magic, lighting Santa’s way to Ireland as he leaves the North Pole and delivers presents to approximately 2.4 billion children globally.
“Santa might be a traditionalist when it comes to his sleigh and reindeer, but he’s also a savvy adopter of modern technology,” said Bruce Hannah, CEO of The Big Dish Company.
“He uses satellite positioning to help keep him on track for his very long night of delivering presents to children all over the world.” These navigation satellites relay data to groundstations in Elfordstown, which can track Santa across 70% of the globe from Ireland’s unique vantage point.
Santa’s annual round-the-world trip will start at around 11 am Irish time. A midnight sweep through Ireland will be one of his last stops before he heads towards chimneys in North and South America. Parents of children who should be in bed can follow Santa’s progress at santatracker.com.
