NORAD Santa Tracker 2009: Santa Has Begun Delivering Presents

The North American Aerospace Defense Command's (known as NORAD) 2009 Santa Tracker will be keeping track of Santa Claus delivering presents around the globe. NORAD's 2009 Santa tracking began on Christmas Eve,at 5 a.m. EST. This is the time NORAD indicates Santa embarks on his gift-giving mission.

NORAD's 2009 Santa Tracker consists of a world map, with a Santa icon that moves as Santa does. Gift boxes indicate where jolly St. Nick is expected to stop. The packages will be lit up with a glow, wherever Santa stops. This allows you to follow a highlighted trail of Santa's global journey.

The Santa Tracker is also tricked out with several features that allow you to keep dibs on Santa. The bottom of the map will tell you where Santa currently is and where his next stop will be. NORAD will also add pictures and video captured during Santa's 2009 Christmas Eve trek. If you are curious about the locations Santa visits, there is also a Wikipedia link to explore.

The NORAD Santa Tracker 2009 offers updates of Santa's stops through Twitter and Facebook. There is also a mobile alert option, which will send text messages to your cell phone. Email noradtrackssanta@gmail.com for an emailed update on Santa's whereabouts. If you or your child would prefer to call in to NORAD for Santa's coordinates, call NORAD's Santa Operations Center at 1-877-HI NORAD (1-877-446-6723). You will be able to speak to a live NORAD representative.

The NORAD website claims that they are able to keep track of Mr. Claus using Rudolph's glowing red nose and satellite imagery. The tracker indicates he has already been to the Polonos Islands, Micronesia, Russia and Japan.

According to the NORAD website, they have been tracking Santa since 1958. The tradition was started in 1955, by the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD). A Sears Roebuck ad for children to call Santa misprinted the telephone number. So when children attempted to call, they reached CONAD's operations hot line. Then CONAD Director of Operations, Colonel Harry Shoup, had staff check the radar for signs of Santa. When children called in, they were given Santa's location.

CONAD was replaced with NORAD, when United States and Canadian governments created the bi-national air defense command. NORAD continued the Santa tracking tradition, with the continued help of volunteer staff members and Department of Defense families.

When they aren't tracking Santa, NORAD is a military organization responsible for the aerospace defense of North America.

Sources:

http://www.noradsanta.org/

http://www.noradsanta.org/en/whytrack.html