Santa Claus is coming to town, so it’s time to find out where Santa and his reindeer are, and most importantly, what’s their ETA for your neck of the planet. Well, with a little help from the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), you can track Santa on his journey around the world.
NORAD, a joint organization between the U.S. and Canada, is responsible for tracking everything flying in and around the two countries. Around Christmastime, NORAD has a crucial mission: track Santa.
How it All Started
It’s a tradition NORAD has carried out for over 60 years that started – accidentally – in 1955. That year, a young girl called the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center in Colorado Springs thinking she would speak to Santa after seeing an ad in her local newspaper.
The commander on the other end of the phone, Air Force Colonel Harry Shoup, realized the mistake and assured the girl Santa would arrive safely on Christmas. She wasn’t the last child to call the unlisted phone number that night. Ultimately, the tradition was born and continued with NORAD after its creation in 1958, according to its website.
It Takes a Village (and Satellites) to Track Santa’s Sleigh
The Department of Defense said that people can play games and watch Santa’s progress on the NORAD Tracks Santa app “thanks to the hard-working folks at NORAD, who start the task of tracking Santa each November when NORADSanta.org starts getting inquiries from families.”
“About 70 contributors help set up the site, apps and phone lines, while more than 500 uniformed personnel, Defense Department civilians, their families and supporters volunteer time on Christmas Eve to answer children’s questions on Santa’s whereabouts,” the Department of Defense said.
NORAD’s radar system, called the North Warning System, has 47 installations across Alaska and northern Canada. As soon as they pick up on Santa departing the North Pole, NORAD tracks the man in the red suit throughout his global adventures with their satellites that use infrared sensors. The sensors typically detect heat from launched rockets or missiles. Rudoph’s nose, however, gives off infrared signatures that are very similar so NORAD can track Santa too.
NORAD also tracks Santa with U.S. Air Force F-15, F-16, F-22 and Canadian Air Force CF-18 fighter jets. The fighter pilots meet with Santa off the coast of Newfoundland on Christmas Eve to welcome him to North America.
How You Can Get Tracking!
Thanks to the internet, millions of children (and big kids, too) can track the man in red as he makes his one-night journey around the world. Although NORADSanta.org, goes live on December 1 with their countdown to Christmas, NORAD doesn’t start tracking Kris Kringle’s sleigh ride until their radars let them know Santa has taken to the air on Christmas Eve.
The website not only allows you to track Santa when his gift-giving journey begins but provides information on NORAD, learn about Santa and his magic sleigh as well as other holiday traditions, listen to Santa’s favorite holiday songs, watch movies about Santa, play games, and more. Children can also listen to the live broadcast from the North Pole.
NORAD also offers a phone line (1-877-HI-NORAD) that remains open for 23 hours starting on Christmas Eve. Last year, the call center fielded over 55,000 calls, according to Lt. Sean Carter, the Program Manager for NORAD Tracks Santa.
And finally, those waiting patiently for Santa are now able to track the man in red on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and even smart phone apps (available on both Google Play and Apple’s App Store) too!
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Photo Credit: Stanisic Vladimir / Shutterstock.com