Anyone else been tracking Santa this evening?
Discussion
The kids went to bed over an hour ago but just noticed the jolly one still being tracked in the background on the computer via NORAD's website.
www.noradsanta.org
He's been on most of the afternoon this year. Great idea to keep the kids entertained and I love the background on the website too.
www.noradsanta.org
He's been on most of the afternoon this year. Great idea to keep the kids entertained and I love the background on the website too.
NORAD said:
For more than 50 years, NORAD and its predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) have tracked Santa’s flight.
The tradition began in 1955 after a Colorado Springs-based Sears Roebuck & Co. advertisement misprinted the telephone number for children to call Santa. Instead of reaching Santa, the phone number put kids through to the CONAD Commander-in-Chief's operations "hotline." The Director of Operations at the time, Colonel Harry Shoup, had his staff check the radar for indications of Santa making his way south from the North Pole. Children who called were given updates on his location, and a tradition was born.
In 1958, the governments of Canada and the United States created a bi-national air defense command for North America called the North American Aerospace Defense Command, also known as NORAD, which then took on the tradition of tracking Santa.
Since that time, NORAD men, women, family and friends have selflessly volunteered their time to personally respond to phone calls and emails from children all around the world. In addition, we now track Santa using the internet. Millions of people who want to know Santa's whereabouts now visit the NORAD Tracks Santa website.
Finally, media from all over the world rely on NORAD as a trusted source to provide updates on Santa's journey.
In Memory of Retired Colonel Harry Shoup, NORAD's First Santa Tracker
September 29, 1917 - March 14, 2009
I especially like the science behind how the satellites can successfully track him The tradition began in 1955 after a Colorado Springs-based Sears Roebuck & Co. advertisement misprinted the telephone number for children to call Santa. Instead of reaching Santa, the phone number put kids through to the CONAD Commander-in-Chief's operations "hotline." The Director of Operations at the time, Colonel Harry Shoup, had his staff check the radar for indications of Santa making his way south from the North Pole. Children who called were given updates on his location, and a tradition was born.
In 1958, the governments of Canada and the United States created a bi-national air defense command for North America called the North American Aerospace Defense Command, also known as NORAD, which then took on the tradition of tracking Santa.
Since that time, NORAD men, women, family and friends have selflessly volunteered their time to personally respond to phone calls and emails from children all around the world. In addition, we now track Santa using the internet. Millions of people who want to know Santa's whereabouts now visit the NORAD Tracks Santa website.
Finally, media from all over the world rely on NORAD as a trusted source to provide updates on Santa's journey.
In Memory of Retired Colonel Harry Shoup, NORAD's First Santa Tracker
September 29, 1917 - March 14, 2009
NORAD said:
Satellites
These satellites are located in a geo-synchronous orbit (that's a cool phrase meaning that the satellite is always fixed over the same spot on the Earth) at 22,300 miles above the Earth. The satellites have infrared sensors, meaning they can see heat. When a rocket or missile is launched, a tremendous amount of heat is produced - enough for the satellites to see them. Rudolph's nose gives off an infrared signature similar to a missile launch. The satellites detect Rudolph's bright red nose with no problem.
These satellites are located in a geo-synchronous orbit (that's a cool phrase meaning that the satellite is always fixed over the same spot on the Earth) at 22,300 miles above the Earth. The satellites have infrared sensors, meaning they can see heat. When a rocket or missile is launched, a tremendous amount of heat is produced - enough for the satellites to see them. Rudolph's nose gives off an infrared signature similar to a missile launch. The satellites detect Rudolph's bright red nose with no problem.
folos said:
santa isn't real, sorry 
Actually St. Nicholas was a real guy. Not a fat bloke wearing suspiciously Coca-Cola coloured clothes, but a real guy nonetheless. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/santas-tomb-i...
I was in the pub last night - my friend is the barman, so I was sitting playing Angry Birds on my laptop with his son (he's 4 in 3 days).
We got on that Norad Santa tracker and he was near s
tting himself with excitement as we watched him move across Africa. We had a bunch of other windows open with aliens and missile games etc - I told him if you press the space bar it'll fire a missile at santa. He said he won't press it.... 2 seconds later he pressed it.
Took a screen grab as he done it -
I said well I'm not sure what'll happen next but let me know - I'm going to the toilet. Then opened this in full screen - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KjBmbD3ng8
We got on that Norad Santa tracker and he was near s
tting himself with excitement as we watched him move across Africa. We had a bunch of other windows open with aliens and missile games etc - I told him if you press the space bar it'll fire a missile at santa. He said he won't press it.... 2 seconds later he pressed it. Took a screen grab as he done it -
I said well I'm not sure what'll happen next but let me know - I'm going to the toilet. Then opened this in full screen - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KjBmbD3ng8
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