NORAD Tracks Santa Claus Across Globe

Contributing Editor Carl Unger believes that every trip is worth taking. He loves an extended trip to Europe as much as he enjoys exploring the towns and landscape near home. Basically, you'll find him wherever there is good food, fresh air, and plenty of stories to bring home.

Carl has been writing for SmarterTravel since 2005. His travel writing has also appeared on USA Today and the About.com Boston travel guide.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "It's not revolutionary, but a small Moleskine notebook is my one travel must-have. It's great for noting things you want to remember and it takes up hardly any space in your bag."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Japan. I'd love to take a month off and visit the cities, temples, and countryside. I'm fascinated by the country's juxtaposition of ancient traditions and modern ambitions."

Travel Motto: “Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” –Terry Pratchett

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Window."

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NORAD is preparing for its annual Christmas duty: tracking Santa Claus as the big guy makes his way across the globe. NORAD pulls out all the stops to follow Mr. Kringle on his ride, including radar, satellites, “Santa Cams,” and fighter jets.

Yes, NORAD mobilizes multi-million-dollar F-15 and F-16 fighter jets to track Santa. It’s serious business. (Question: If reindeer can fly as fast as an F-16, why don’t we just use … ah, nevermind.)

Apparently, Santa isn’t that difficult to track, thanks to a particularly famous reindeer. According to NORAD, “Amazingly, Rudolph’s bright red nose gives off an infrared signature, which allows our satellites to detect Rudolph and Santa.”

Throughout Santa’s journey, NORAD will post videos captured by its Santa Cams, which it describes as “ultra-cool, high-tech, high-speed digital cameras that are pre-positioned at many locations around the world.”

NORAD’s website is chock full of games and information for kids, including a game in which you direct a snowman down a ski slope, picking up snowman components (sticks, carrots) while dodging trees. I’m not at all ashamed to admit this game sucked me right in.

So gather the kids, pour some egg nog and hot chocolate, make a fire, and watch as Santa gets closer and closer to your house!

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