I remember when I was a kid turning on the late news on Christmas Eve and watching the make shift Santa Tracker they had set up. Something that resembled some blinky clip art and a good ole map. But oh how times have changed with the help of time, technology and a little thing called “Google.”
Starting tomorrow the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) will start tracking Santa’s journey from his home at the North Pole to houses all across the world, something they have been doing since 1955,
According to the NORAD Website here is how they track Santa:
NORAD uses four high-tech systems to track Santa – radar, satellites, Santa Cams and fighter jets.
Tracking Santa starts with the NORAD radar system called the North Warning System. This powerful radar system consists of 47 installations strung across the northern border of North America. On December 24th, NORAD monitors the radar systems continuously for indications that Santa Claus has left the North Pole.
The moment that radar indicates Santa has lifted off, we use our second detection system. Satellites positioned in geo-synchronous orbit at 22,300 miles from the Earth’s surface are equipped with infrared sensors, which enable them to detect heat. Amazingly, Rudolph’s bright red nose gives off an infrared signature, which allows our satellites to detect Rudolph and Santa.
The third tracking system is the Santa Cam network. We began using it in 1998, which is the year we put our Santa Tracking program on the internet. Santa Cams are ultra-cool, high-tech, high-speed digital cameras that are pre-positioned at many locations around the world. NORAD only uses these cameras once a year. The cameras capture images and videos of Santa and his reindeer as they make their journey around the world.
The fourth system is made up of fighter jets. Canadian NORAD fighter pilots flying the CF-18 intercept and welcome Santa to North America. In the United States, American NORAD fighter pilots in either the F-15 or the F-16 get the thrill of flying alongside Santa and his famous reindeer: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and, of course, Rudolph.
So, to join in on the fun and even track him from your mobile phone if you won’t be home tomorrow night, visit their website. You can also track Santa in Google Earth – We’ve come a long way since my youth!
