COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. - Is Santa here yet?
Children can be assured that Santa is on the way, thanks to NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which says it is fully equipped to track jolly St. Nick from the moment he leaves the North Pole, and provide a little fun and distraction during the long final days until his arrival.
NORAD, headquartered in Colorado Springs, is the bi-national U.S.-Canadian military organization responsible for the aerospace and maritime defense of the United States and Canada. According to NORAD, it uses four high-tech systems to track Santa: radar, satellites, Santa cams and fighter jets.
NORAD says it tracks Santa starting with its radar system called the North Warning System, with 47 installations strung across the northern border of North America. On Dec. 24, NORAD monitors the radar systems continuously for indications that Santa Claus has left the North Pole.
The moment Santa lifts off, a second detection system goes into effect. Satellites in orbit 22,300 miles above the Earth's surface are equipped with infrared sensors, which enable them to detect heat - i.e., Rudolph's bright red nose.
The third tracking system is the network of Santa cams - high-speed digital cameras positioned around the world. NORAD said it uses these cameras only once a year. NORAD began putting its Santa Tracking program on the internet in 1998.
The fourth system is made up of fighter jets. NORAD said Canadian 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, F-16 or the F-22 get the thrill of flying alongside Santa and his famous reindeer.
Once data is collected on Dec. 24, it is then pushed into the Google Maps and Google Earth so that families can also follow Santa around the world in 3D.
At NORAD's Santa tracker website, the Kids' Countdown Village offers a new holiday game every day until Dec. 24.
This year, the official NORAD Tracks Santa app for cellphones counts down the days to Santa's takeoff.
To take part in the Santa watch, go to www.noradsanta.org/en/index.html. NORAD Tracks Santa is also on Facebook, Google Plus and Twitter.
- Tere Dunlap
Children can be assured that Santa is on the way, thanks to NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which says it is fully equipped to track jolly St. Nick from the moment he leaves the North Pole, and provide a little fun and distraction during the long final days until his arrival.
NORAD, headquartered in Colorado Springs, is the bi-national U.S.-Canadian military organization responsible for the aerospace and maritime defense of the United States and Canada. According to NORAD, it uses four high-tech systems to track Santa: radar, satellites, Santa cams and fighter jets.
NORAD says it tracks Santa starting with its radar system called the North Warning System, with 47 installations strung across the northern border of North America. On Dec. 24, NORAD monitors the radar systems continuously for indications that Santa Claus has left the North Pole.
The moment Santa lifts off, a second detection system goes into effect. Satellites in orbit 22,300 miles above the Earth's surface are equipped with infrared sensors, which enable them to detect heat - i.e., Rudolph's bright red nose.
The third tracking system is the network of Santa cams - high-speed digital cameras positioned around the world. NORAD said it uses these cameras only once a year. NORAD began putting its Santa Tracking program on the internet in 1998.
The fourth system is made up of fighter jets. NORAD said Canadian 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, F-16 or the F-22 get the thrill of flying alongside Santa and his famous reindeer.
Once data is collected on Dec. 24, it is then pushed into the Google Maps and Google Earth so that families can also follow Santa around the world in 3D.
At NORAD's Santa tracker website, the Kids' Countdown Village offers a new holiday game every day until Dec. 24.
This year, the official NORAD Tracks Santa app for cellphones counts down the days to Santa's takeoff.
To take part in the Santa watch, go to www.noradsanta.org/en/index.html. NORAD Tracks Santa is also on Facebook, Google Plus and Twitter.
- Tere Dunlap