There is something endearing about a culture where your greatest minds, and those places where they show off, dedicate time to Santa Claus. In fact, for those of us who do not believe that the world of fantasy is so farfetched, it is a nice break from the stunted reality we must endure.
So that is why it is so great to see the Los Alamos National Laboratory putting their technology at the hands of those of us who want to track Santa’s movements.
Beginning at 6 a.m., Monday, the 24th of December, Los Alamos time, Mountain Standard Time, the ‘Where’s Santa Claus Now’ page will track the jolly man’s progress across our planet. The International, Space & Response (ISR) Division team will use the satellite dishes high up in the Los Alamos mountains in conjunction with sensors on the FORTE satellite to track Santa.
"We expect Santa to arrive in Northern New Mexico around midnight, Mountain Standard Time, on Christmas Eve," said Diane Roussel-Dupré of Space Data Systems (ISR-3). "As he travels the world, crossing time zones, he's chasing midnight, hour after hour, and delivering his treasures to families everywhere."
Together, the dish/satellite team will be able to cover the majority of the Earth’s flight paths to ensure that Santa’s whereabouts are confirmed. The team also believes that Rudolph’s glowing red nose will put out an optical and infrared light, subsequently making Nick and his reindeer team just that little bit easier to find.
On the official Santa tracking website the Los Alamos team have created a preliminary flight plan, based on their theories. According to the plan, Santa will hit Siberia at 7am MST, followed by my own Australia at 10 a.m., before making his way around the planet, beating the sun all the way, to hit New Mexico at midnight, Los Alamos time.
"We like to think of our efforts as another way to help spread glad tidings," Roussel-Dupré said. "This is our present to the communities of Northern New Mexico and the world."
In addition to the above teams’ work, the U.S. Air Force will be dedicating nine of its tracking stations around the world to help monitor the 9-reindeer powered sleigh. So make sure to be watching the website Christmas Eve, wherever you are, to check Santa’s arrival time!
With a little old driver so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles, his coursers they came,
And he whistled and shouted and called them by name:
Now Dasher! Now Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! On, Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall! and off and off we will fly!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!
Joshua Hill, a Geek’s-Geek from Melbourne, Australia, Josh is an aspiring author with dreams of publishing his epic fantasy, currently in the works, sometime in the next 5 years. A techie, nerd, sci-fi nut and bookworm.
