At this very moment he and the elves are busy packing his sleigh, and starting at 11 p.m. PT Dec. 23, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and Microsoft will track Santa Claus on his journey – and you’re invited to follow it, writes Steve Lake on the Exploring IE blog.
Since 1955, children of all ages have tracked Santa’s route with the help of NORAD’s radar, satellites and jet fighters. This year, Microsoft is helping to make the experience even more magical, with the launch of www.NORADSanta.org.
You can follow Santa from anywhere, Lake says. “Call the NORAD Tracks Santa Operation center for personal updates or pull out your tablet or phone and use your finger to zoom in and out of the 3D globe, tracking Santa as he spreads holiday cheer and goodwill around the world. And be on the lookout for locations with a special marker – clicking on these will give more information about his stops and may even allow you to catch actual glimpses of Santa from NORAD’s Santa Cams!”
As soon as he starts his trek, NORAD will begin tracking him and share his location on the map.
While you’re waiting for Santa, check out Microsoft’s Holiday Hub, screenshot below, with scenes from around the world. There, you can share your own decorations, dressed-up pets and Santa sightings on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtags #holidayoverload, #santapaws and #santasighting.
For the full ho-ho-ho, head over to the Exploring IE blog.
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Suzanne Choney
Microsoft News Center Staff