ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, December 20, 1996 TAG: 9612200064
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Friday Something
SOURCE: NANCY GLEINER
Rudolph notwithstanding, no known species of reindeer can fly. However, should there be airborne reindeer Tuesday night, you'll know.
According to sophisticated calculations, in order for Santa to drop his goodies at every child's house worldwide, his sleigh would have to travel at 650 miles per second, which would create enormous air resistance - heating up his furry fleet-footed beasts the way a spacecraft does as it re-enters Earth's atmosphere.
Even the physics-impaired realize the lead pair of reindeer would absorb 14.3 quintillion joules (many, many, many ergs). The only thing preventing them from bursting into flames instantaneously would be their heat-absorbing antlers.
Dasher and Dancer, by the way, would be heading a team of not eight but 214,200 reindeer because of the enormous weight of all those toys, plus the sleigh, plus Santa, called by many endeering names throughout the world, but never ``Slim.''''
LENGTH: Short : 29 linesby CNB