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Looking at http://www.noradsanta.org/ implies a Satellite based tracking system for the annual NORAD Santa tracking report. I looked at the Wikipedia article for some hint of the technology that allows NORAD to identify Santa's location, but did not find any clues. I am not sure, if NORAD has an agreement with Santa so there is some tracking device placed on the sleigh, or if they are able to identify Rudolph's nose, or in some other way identify Santa and his sleigh flying through the night sky.

My question is, other then NORAD are there any other satellite systems that would have the ability to track Santa, and if so are any of them used to track him?

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    $\begingroup$ NORAD can't track Santa, either. He's got a transponder they can read! $\endgroup$
    – Loren Pechtel
    Dec 23, 2013 at 17:57
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    $\begingroup$ I hear the relationship between Santa and the US administration had soured after the NSA started telling him who'd been naughty, and who'd been nice. I bet Santa will be in an 'unmarked sleigh' this Christmas. $\endgroup$
    – Andrew Thompson
    Dec 23, 2013 at 21:57
  • $\begingroup$ @James - shhhh. Don't let on. $\endgroup$
    – Rory Alsop ♦
    Dec 23, 2013 at 23:07
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    $\begingroup$ @JamesJenkins We have a 'fun' tag over at tex.SX that we use year around; you can actually learn a lot watching people push themselves with it, so I don't see why we should delete this; just let it slip back into hiding dec 26, then toss a bounty on it next year or such. $\endgroup$
    – Canageek
    Dec 24, 2013 at 7:44
  • $\begingroup$ @AndrewThompson: More like the NSA stole the naught/nice list from Santa;-) $\endgroup$
    – PearsonArtPhoto ♦
    Dec 24, 2013 at 20:17

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One Santa Tracker app for iOS claims to use "millions of Santa tracking stations", another one is using the "latest Elfish satellite technology".

Google is also tracking Santa. I haven't found any information, except that they are using insider information:

We’ve received this special preview from one of Santa’s many developer elves, who are hard at work in the North Pole helping Santa prepare for his big day

So I guess there are quite a few Santa tracking technologies in use.

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    $\begingroup$ Seems like Google and NORAD have slightly different locations for him. Obviously some stealth technology in play here. $\endgroup$
    – James Jenkins
    Dec 24, 2013 at 15:11
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    $\begingroup$ @JamesJenkins Aha, an unmarked sleigh! Just as I thought. He needs to improve the stealth technology a bit though. Perhaps Google/NORAD are tuning their detectors to 'Reindeer Flatulence' or something more subtle, that could explain the slight discrepancy (the winds shift). ;) $\endgroup$
    – Andrew Thompson
    Dec 26, 2013 at 15:45

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