The sky-watchers at the North American Aerospace Defense Command, a cooperative venture of the United States and Canada, will observe its 50th anniversary in 2008. This December, as it has for more than half of its existence, the service will also offer high-tech tracking of Santa's journey around the world.
As you can learn on NORAD's special Santa-tracking site, it all started in 1955 when a Colorado radio station mistakenly broadcast as a Santa "hotline" a phone number that was actually for NORAD predecessor the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD). Military staff on duty obligingly told the kids who called that they'd check their radar for Santa's progress.
Today, a toll-free number and Website are available for a new generation of Santa-watchers. In fact, NORAD has upgraded the site significantly with a sophisticated Santa-tracker based on Google Earth.
Kids impatient for time to pass can also learn about Santa lore (in six languages) and click around a map of his North Pole Village, peeking into shops and finding games and puzzles in such operations as Mrs. Claus' Alphabet Soup Kitchen and the Reindeer Training Academy.
Tracking Santa requires you install Google Earth, but from there the app runs independently, following the jolly one around the globe. You can click on videos of earlier sightings and also click to learn more about the various places he's already been. (NORAD's site makes it clear to concerned taxpayers that the bulk of this service comes with the help of corporate sponsors).
As of this writing, Santa and his team of reindeer (led by Rudolph, his red nose glowing) is still cruising across Eastern Europe. Here's a shot, but check it out for yourself at NORAD Santa.
Source: PC World
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