3:37pm UK, Friday December 24, 2010
Millions of children will be able to track Santa Claus this Christmas Eve as he travels round the world delivering presents.
Using Santa Cams in cities along his journey, the tracker - which goes live at 9am - allows youngsters to monitor his progress on the internet or mobile phones.
As soon as he takes off from his base in the North Pole, he can be located through updates on Google Maps and Google Earth.
The tracker is organised by NORAD, which is normally responsible for defending North America from incoming nuclear missiles.
But on Christmas Eve it turns it attention to following Santa's journey around the globe.
The organisation can follow Santa with its radar and satellite technology, as well as detecting the infra-red signature left by Rudolph's red nose.
The tracking service has been running since 1955 when a child accidently called NORAD and asked to speak to Santa.
Not wanting to disappoint the young caller, a staff member checked the radar to work out Santa's exact location for the child.
The employee then told his colleagues to do the same, if anyone else called about Santa.
Since then the organisation has provided the service each Christmas at its operations centre in Colorado, which will be staffed by more than 1,000 volunteers.
But although it can locate where Santa is at any given time, NORAD cannot predict his route and is not able to say when he will arrive at your house.
"We do, however, know from history that it appears he arrives only when children are asleep," the organisation added.
"In most countries, it seems Santa arrives between 9pm and midnight on December 24.
"If children are still awake when Santa arrives, he moves on to other houses.
"He returns later… but only when the children are asleep."
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