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New Delhi: Just before Christmas Eve, families in many parts of the globe are again turning to the radio to follow Santa Claus as he sets off on his legendary nocturnal expedition. It began as a nice digital experience during a holiday, but now it is a worldwide digital experience, courtesy of the real-time Santa trackers provided by Google and the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD). Both sites allow users to track the path of Santa to deliver the presents across the time zones with interactive maps, videos and celebratory games.
Millions of people would be online on the last day of December 24 every year to know where Santa is, where he has been, and which city he is going to. Both Google and NORAD are providing live tracking, but their methods and backgrounds are quite dissimilar, allowing the users to choose between gaming and modern experiences and a 40-year-old tradition of an accidental phone call.
The Santa tracking tradition of NORAD started in 1955, when a child accidentally dialled one of the military hotlines and asked to be connected with Santa. Officers disseminated the location of the man named Santa to callers instead of rectifying the error. The tradition expanded each year and nowadays demonstrates a lighter part of the NORAD mission, which is close to 70 years old.
In 2004, Google became a part of the Santa-tracking industry, based on the long-running programme of NORAD. Google Santa Tracker has, over the years, transformed itself into a vibrant online space, which has been fuelled by the newest mapping technologies, animation and interaction features. Where NORAD is realistic and narrative, Google is playful and educational to children.
The Santa Tracker of Google is launched on Christmas Eve. Visitors can follow Santa by going to santatracker.google.com on a mobile phone, tablet or computer. When Santa flies, there is a live map which indicates his position, distance travelled, presents delivered and the next destination on the way.
In addition to tracking, Google does provide mini-games, code competitions, quizzes, music tools and short animated videos. These are the features that are meant to entertain kids and families as they await the arrival of Santa to their city.
To track Santa with the help of NORAD, go to noradsanta.org on Christmas Eve. When live, the site shows a 3D globe picture of the sleigh of Santa, real-time satellite tracking, the videos of SantaCam, and a play-by-play of the voyage of Santa to the whole world.
To have more of a classic experience, the user also has the desire to call 877-446-6723 to talk to one of the Santa trackers, who informs the user where Santa is by phone, which preserves the original essence of the tradition.
Cannonball, rising on the morning of Christmas, might have one more heavenly reward. The International Space Station (ISS) is likely to fly across the sky a few hours before sunrise in some regions of North America. The ISS travels at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour, and the object looks like a bright moving point of light, quite unlike glowing aeroplanes.
The visibility is tied to the location, and specific times may be verified with the help of NASA in the Spot the Station app or the Heavens-Above web. Space.com lists New York sightings at 5:56 to 5:59 EST, Chicago at 6:29 to 6:35 CST and Toronto at 7:30 to 7:35 EST on the same date (December 25). Nothing special is required, only clear skies and a bit of vacation patience.
In the case of India, the ISS may be seen at the beginning of the morning between 5:00 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. IST, depending on the city and weather conditions. Precise timings may be verified by the NASA Spot the Station application or the Heavens-Above site.
