How to follow Santa online with NORAD, Google Earth, Facebook and Twitter

There are only a few sleeps to Christmas so Santa is pretty busy getting ready for the big day. So too are NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, who are preparing to track Santa Claus and the reindeer as he crosses the world on Christmas Eve.

On Christmas Eve each year a special division of the US and Canadian military, NORAD, takes on the extra-special mission of guiding and supporting Santa as he delivers presents to good girls and boys. And over the past number of years NORAD has been using the latest Google Earth technology to track Santa online as he visits each country.

Learn more about the science of Santa Claus with our special report here.

You can watch Santa as he delivers presents on the Google Map below.

Of course Santa, like most celebrities, has his own Twitter and Facebook pages where he posts the latest information about the North Pole’s preparations for Christmas. In the run-up to the big day you can watch Father Christmas as he prepairs the presents and toys, and then on December 24, you can follow his as he sets off delivering presents.

You can get ready to follow Santa by downloading Google Earth from Santa’s page on NORAD’s site.

Our latest reports say that Santa should reach Ireland at 11:30 on Christmas Eve, so be sure to have the Mince Pies and (non-alcoholic) drinks ready for him by then.

Happy Christmas from The Sociable