Santa Claus is on the move! His annual journey from the North Pole to deliver presents to children around the world is being tracked in real-time by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). For the past 68 years, NORAD has been keeping an eye on Santa’s progress as he travels across the globe, and this Christmas is no different.
As of 4:45 a.m. ET on Christmas Day, Santa is making his way to the Midway Atoll off Hawaii after moving through the southern United States. Earlier, he was tracked across Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America, delivering an incredible 7.7 trillion gifts along the way.
NORAD’s Santa tracker is currently live, allowing everyone to monitor Santa’s progress on a map. For real-time updates, you can also follow NORAD’s Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pages. Additionally, operators will be available to provide Santa’s whereabouts by phone at 1-877-HI-NORAD.
However, it’s impossible to know exactly when Santa will arrive at your house, as only he knows his route. Based on history, it’s believed that he typically arrives between 9 p.m. and midnight on December 24 when children are asleep. If the children are still awake, Santa will move on to other houses and return later when they are asleep.
So how does the Santa tracker actually work? NORAD uses a combination of radars, satellites, and jet fighters to keep watch over Santa’s journey. Their radar system, the North Warning System, monitors the North Pole every Christmas, while satellites located 22,300 miles above the Earth with infrared sensors help track Santa’s bright red nose. Canadian and American jet fighters also welcome and escort Santa and his reindeer through North American airspace.
It’s an incredible operation that has been providing joy and excitement to children and families worldwide for nearly seven decades. So this Christmas, be sure to keep an eye on Santa’s journey and marvel at the magic he brings to the world.
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