Tortoise Takes a Leisurely Stroll

Images

Tuesday, 20 August 2024

Slow and steady wins the race for this gopher tortoise, ambling along the Launch Pad 39B beach road on NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Gopher tortoises are dry-land turtles that live in scrub, dry hammock, pine flatwood, coastal grassland and dune habitats.

Image Credit: NASA/Daniel Casper

Planetary Positions

23.11.2024 at 21:15:58 UTC

Planet	Longitude
The Sun	02 Sag 04' 37"
The Moon	11 Vir 11' 38"
Mercury	22 Sag 17' 34"
Venus	14 Cap 22' 25"
Mars	05 Leo 04' 41"
Jupiter	18 Gem 07' 08" R
Saturn	12 Pis 45' 11"
Uranus	24 Tau 57' 36" R
Neptune	27 Pis 11' 15" R
Pluto	00 Aqu 04' 33"

Solar Status

BZ Status:	0
Proton Density:	5.61
Proton Speed:	395.0 k/sec
KP Status:	2.33

Type	Nov 23	Nov 24	Nov 25
Active	25%	25%	25%
Minor	15%	15%	15%
Moderate	1%	1%	1%
Strong	1%	1%	1%
Kp Index Prediction
00-03UT	2.33	2.33	2.33
03-06UT	3.00	2.67	3.00
06-09UT	2.33	2.33	2.00
09-12UT	2.00	2.33	2.00
12-15UT	1.33	2.00	1.67
15-18UT	1.33	2.00	2.00
18-21UT	1.67	2.00	2.00
21-00UT	2.33	1.67	2.33
Solar Activity
Solar activity returned to moderate levels with two M-class flares observed. The first, an impulsive M1.6/1n flare at 22/1546 UTC, was from Region 3905 (S09E49, Dai/beta-gamma). This region added several low-to-mid-level C-class flares as it rotated further onto the visible disk. Newly numbered Region 3906 (S09E57, Dai/beta-gamma-delta) added the second flare, an M1.0 event at 22/2215 UTC, as it made its way further onto the visible disk. Region 3901 (S06W08, Cao/beta-gamma) produced a C4.1 flare at 22/1707 UTC as its trailing spots underwent decay. Region 3903 (S10W46, Dao/beta-gamma) was relatively quiet despite its more complex magnetic configuration.
Solar Wind
Solar wind parameters reflected weak, negative polarity CH HSS influence. Solar wind speeds ranged +/- 25 of 400 km/s. Total field was primarily 7-8 nT, and the Bz component underwent a handful of southward deflections, reaching a minimum of -8 nT. Phi was predominantly negative.
Energetic Particle
The greater than 2 MeV electron flux was at normal to moderate levels. The greater than 10 MeV proton flux returned to background levels.

Tortoise Takes a Leisurely Stroll

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