Santa Claus and reindeer on radar, PC, Google Earth, Twitter

And cell phones, too!

UPDATED

aroundcentralflorida.com

Click writer's name to email Emery Jeffreys.

Posted: 12/23/2008 1:50:56 PM

The jolly old elf has mere milliseconds to visit each household delivering gifts on Christmas Eve.

Sometime on Christmas Eve, Santa and his legendary sleigh will cross into a bitter cold section of Canada where he will be spotted by the North American Aerospace Defense Command's sophisticated radar network. NORAD's now famous Santa tracking program began in 1955 as an accident.

That year a Sears store in Boulder, Colorado, ran an ad for a hot line to put kids in touch with St. Nick. A misprint sent phone calls to the Continental Air Defense Command, NORAD's predecessor. Col. Harry Shoup, CONAD's director of operations, took it in stride. He ordered his staff to report tracking coordinates for the sleigh to anyone who called.

Eleven years ago Analytical Graphics Inc. began using its analysis software technology to visually depict Santa's Dec. 24 journey live on the Internet. Last year, the http://www.noradsanta.org/ Web site registered 941 million hits from 210 countries, and received nearly 100,000 emails from visitors.

It is not a small operation. In 2006, the NORAD Tracks Santa Operations Center was staffed by more than 750 volunteers on Christmas Eve, who answered nearly 65,000 phone calls and 9,600 emails from children around the world.

This year the project has taken an unexpected high-tech turn to benefit millions of children under the influence of sugar plums.

Google, has added its services to NORAD's annual tradition. Santa Claus watchers will now be able to track the jolly fat man via Google Maps, Google Earth, iGoogle, email and YouTube.

Here's the way it works:

• From now through Dec. 24, NORAD hosts kid-friendly games Between Dec. 1-24


• Twitter: Everyone follows Norad Santa on Twitter


• Google Earth: Download the free version of Google Earth and install it on a computer. After 4 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Dec. 24, visit the NORAD tracking site: http://www.noradsanta.org/en/tracksanta.html


• Google mobile applications: Download Google Maps for Mobile


• Google mail: On Dec. 24, send an email to noradtrackssanta@gmail.com for the latest update on locations.


• iGoogle: Add the Track Santa desktop widget to your personalized home page.


• YouTube: NORAD and AGI Software will be using sophisticated computer simulations, satellites and Air Force interceptors escort Santa Claus and his reindeer on the appointed rounds. You can see past top secret surveillance tapes here.


• Visit Mashable: The Web site offers yet another sample video of a AGI tracking video from 2006.


• By phone: Adults who don't have a child to demonstrate these cool tricks can still call the hot line at 1-877-HI NORAD (1-877-446-6723).

In a flash almost as fast as Santa's trip around the world, a number of Internet sites have conjured up their own Christmas magic revolving around NORAD's official work.

The Google Earth Blog offers a downloadable Google Earth file that tracks a typical route for the man dressed in red. Once on that Web site, right click with your mouse to download the file to your desktop or a folder. Use Google Earth to run the file. Click one of the map points and "Play Tour." You can follow Santa's track. Warning: The Google Earth method is not quite as fast as the old man. Remember, he's had hundreds of years of practice.

How it works

Starting at 4 a.m. ET on Dec. 24, the NORAD Santa tracking site allows Santa believers of all ages to get up-to-the-minute reports, streaming videos, and pictures from 25 key stops -- including Kennedy Space Center -- on Santa's trip.

AGI software will output live images from NORAD's high-speed digital "Santa Cams" via YouTube and television feeds worldwide. In addition to a 2-D tracking map, a 3-D Google Earth map will follow Santa, in 10-15 second increments, as he goes around the world.

"NORAD has used our software to track Santa since we partnered with them to launch the Web site in 1997," said Paul Graziani, AGI president. "We're proud that our products not only protect national security and support space exploration, but also enable Christmas to come alive for millions of people around the world."

The Santa mission provides a break from the seriousness of NORAD's real mission.

"For 365 days a year, NORAD provides aerospace warning and aerospace control over North America, said Major Stacia Reddish with the NORAD In Colorado Springs, Colo. "On Christmas Eve, we have one additional assignment -- tracking Santa. We could not perform this delightful mission without the support of AGI, our longtime corporate sponsor."

Acknowledgements: Image of Santa courtesy of AGI; graphic by Clark Megerle; image of Col. Shoup, Google.