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

21.09.2024 at 03:18:57 UTC

Planet	Longitude
The Sun	28 Vir 38' 19"
The Moon	11 Tau 16' 54"
Mercury	20 Vir 22' 52"
Venus	27 Lib 35' 55"
Mars	09 Can 30' 10"
Jupiter	20 Gem 47' 40"
Saturn	15 Pis 02' 60" R
Uranus	27 Tau 05' 56" R
Neptune	28 Pis 30' 42" R
Pluto	29 Cap 44' 39" R

Solar Status

BZ Status:	1
Proton Density:	0.50
Proton Speed:	435.9 k/sec
KP Status:	2.00

Type	Sep 21	Sep 22	Sep 23
Active	25%	20%	10%
Minor	10%	10%	5%
Moderate	1%	1%	1%
Strong	1%	1%	1%
Kp Index Prediction
00-03UT	1.67	2.33	1.33
03-06UT	2.00	2.00	1.33
06-09UT	2.33	2.00	1.67
09-12UT	3.00	2.00	1.33
12-15UT	3.00	2.00	1.33
15-18UT	2.33	2.00	1.33
18-21UT	2.33	2.00	1.67
21-00UT	2.33	2.33	1.67
Solar Activity
Solar activity remained at low levels. Region 3831 (N12W09, Dao/beta) produced the strongest event of the period, a C3.9 flare at 20/1457 UTC. Minor growth was observed in its trailer spot over the past 24 hours. Three new sunspot groups were assigned numbers: Region 3832 (N13W45, Cro/beta), Region 3833 (N21W02, Bxo/beta), and Region 3834 (S14E65, Dso/beta). No Earth-directed CMEs were observed in available coronagraph imagery.
Solar Wind
Solar wind parameters were near background levels. Total magnetic field strength was between 4-7 nT. The Bz component was primarily northward. Solar wind speeds ranged from ~375-425 km/s. Phi angle was predominantly oriented in the positive sector.
Energetic Particle
The greater than 2 MeV electron flux reached high levels with a maximum flux of 1,240 pfu at 20/1820 UTC. The greater than 10 MeV proton flux was at background levels.

Tortoise Takes a Leisurely Stroll

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