For 50 years, NORAD and its predecessor agency have tracked the progress of Santa Claus as he delivers gifts on Christmas Eve.
It began when a Colorado Springs Sears store misprinted the phone number for a Santa hot line. The number sent children instead to the Continental Air Defense Command, where a quick-thinking colonel had his staff check the radar for sightings of Santa.
Sure enough, the jolly old elf turned up and his progress has since been relayed to callers, at first, and online visitors now.
NORAD uses four high-tech systems to track Mr. Claus: radar, satellites, Santa Cams and jet fighters. Radar from 47 installations is used as Santa leaves the North Pole. Then the satellites, with heat-detecting sensors, take over. Santa Cams, high-speed digital cameras placed around the world, capture video and still images of Kris Kringle as he enters and leaves a country. Finally, CF-18 and F-15 or F16 jet fighters intercept and escort Santa in Canada and the U.S.
This year, Santa watchers will be able to get up-to-the-minute information on his whereabouts — as well as his cookie consumption — in six languages: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish.
