The ChipWitch

Orion Comes Home to Earth

Images

Monday, 12 December 2022

At 12:40 p.m. EST, Dec. 11, 2022, the Orion spacecraft for the Artemis I mission splashed down in the Pacific Ocean after a 25.5-day mission to the Moon.

×

Planetary Positions

07.11.2024 at 08:38:42 UTC

chart wheel

Planet	Longitude
The Sun	15 Sco 25' 52"
The Moon	22 Cap 09' 17"
Mercury	06 Sag 10' 57"
Venus	24 Sag 43' 59"
Mars	01 Leo 02' 59"
Jupiter	19 Gem 57' 14" R
Saturn	12 Pis 45' 08" R
Uranus	25 Tau 38' 43" R
Neptune	27 Pis 23' 21" R
Pluto	29 Cap 48' 29"

Solar Status

BZ Status:	-1
Proton Density:	3.05
Proton Speed:	387.1 k/sec
KP Status:	1.00

Type	Nov 7	Nov 8	Nov 9
Active	30%	40%	40%
Minor	40%	25%	30%
Moderate	10%	1%	5%
Strong	5%	1%	1%
Kp Index Prediction
00-03UT	5.00	4.00	3.67
03-06UT	4.33	2.67	3.00
06-09UT	4.00	3.33	3.00
09-12UT	3.33	3.67	3.00
12-15UT	4.33	3.00	3.33
15-18UT	2.67	3.33	3.33
18-21UT	3.00	2.00	3.67
21-00UT	3.67	2.33	4.33
Solar Activity
Solar activity has been at high levels with ten M-Class flares and one X-Class flare. An impulsive X2.3/2b occurred at 06/1324 UTC originating from Region 3883 (S06E07, Ekc/beta-gamma-delta) and had an associated Type II radio sweep of 256 km/s. A possible sympathetic subflare occurred slightly after at 06/1331 UTC from Region 3886 (S08E37, Eki/beta-gamma). This eruption cascaded away from the area along the magnetic arcade which appeared to have triggered a filament eruption at 06/1338 UTC. However, the magnetic field lines did not reconfigure as the filament was restored and became apparent in GONG/H-alpha imagery by roughly 06/1800 UTC. Region 3883 remained as a bright surge on the disk throughout this time up until 06/1646 UTC. There has been no CMEs associated with the event.
Solar Wind
Waning CH HSS influences can be seen in the solar wind parameters after 06/1200 UTC. Total field has decreased to 2-4 nT with the Bz component around 1-2 nT. Solar wind speed has also been on the decline from 450 km/s to 400 km/s. The phi angle alternated into the negative (towards the Sun) orientation between 06/1530 - 06/1830 UTC but has remained positive otherwise.
Energetic Particle
The greater than 2 MeV electron flux has been at normal to moderate levels. The greater than 10 MeV proton flux has remained at background levels.

Solar Monitor

Solar Wind

Tags