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Orion Comes Home to Earth

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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.

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Planetary Positions

23.12.2024 at 04:53:53 UTC

chart wheel

Planet	Longitude
The Sun	01 Cap 50' 54"
The Moon	04 Lib 49' 08"
Mercury	10 Sag 01' 51"
Venus	18 Aqu 05' 57"
Mars	04 Leo 21' 50" R
Jupiter	14 Gem 13' 58" R
Saturn	13 Pis 54' 48"
Uranus	23 Tau 52' 36" R
Neptune	27 Pis 11' 54"
Pluto	00 Aqu 48' 07"

Solar Status

BZ Status:
Proton Density:	0.86
Proton Speed:	560.3 k/sec
KP Status:	3.67

Type	Dec 23	Dec 24	Dec 25
Active	20%	30%	20%
Minor	5%	15%	5%
Moderate	1%	5%	1%
Strong	1%	1%	1%
Kp Index Prediction
00-03UT	2.33	2.67	2.33
03-06UT	2.67	3.00	2.67
06-09UT	2.00	2.33	2.67
09-12UT	2.00	2.33	2.00
12-15UT	1.00	1.67	2.00
15-18UT	2.00	2.33	0.67
18-21UT	2.00	2.33	2.00
21-00UT	2.67	2.67	2.33
Solar Activity
Solar activity reached moderate levels (R1/Minor). Region 3932 (S17E42, Ekc/beta-gamma) produced an impulsive M1.1 flare at 22/2049 UTC; the largest event of the period. Development continued among the cluster of active regions in the SE quadrant. No Earth-directed CMEs were detected in available data.
Solar Wind
Solar wind parameters were enhanced this period. Total field reached a peak of 9 nT and Bz varied between +8/-7 nT. Solar wind speeds ranged between ~500-700 km/s through most of the period. Phi angle was negative.
Energetic Particle
The greater than 10 MeV proton flux remained elevated above background but well below the S1 threshold, mostly due to activity that erupted on the far side of the Sun over 20 Dec. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux was at normal and moderate levels.

Solar Monitor

Solar Wind

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