Celebrating Astronaut Alan Shepard's 100th Birthday

Images

Friday, 17 November 2023

Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., attired in his Mercury pressure suit, poses for a photo on May 5, 1961, prior to his launch in a Mercury-Redstone 3 spacecraft from Cape Canaveral on a suborbital mission – the first U.S. manned spaceflight.

Image Credit: NASA

Planetary Positions

23.11.2024 at 11:59:48 UTC

Planet	Longitude
The Sun	01 Sag 41' 11"
The Moon	06 Vir 33' 17"
Mercury	22 Sag 09' 20"
Venus	13 Cap 55' 06"
Mars	05 Leo 00' 53"
Jupiter	18 Gem 10' 04" R
Saturn	12 Pis 44' 51"
Uranus	24 Tau 58' 33" R
Neptune	27 Pis 11' 27" R
Pluto	00 Aqu 04' 06"

Solar Status

BZ Status:	-6
Proton Density:	6.68
Proton Speed:	404.5 k/sec
KP Status:	1.67

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 (S09E64, Dao/beta-gamma). This region added several low-to-mid-level C-class flares as it rotated further onto the visible disk.
Solar Wind
Solar wind parameters reflected weak, negative polarity CH HSS influence. Solar wind speeds were between 370-430 km/s, total field strength averaged near 8 nT, and the Bz component fluctuated between +/-8 nT. The phi angle was predominantly in a negative position, with occasional oscillations into a positive orientation the first half of the period.
Energetic Particle
The greater than 2 MeV electron flux was at normal to moderate levels. The greater than 10 MeV proton flux reached S2 (Moderate) levels, reached a peak value of 125 pfu at 22/0355 UTC, and decreased below the S1 (Minor) threshold at 22/1845 UTC. The 100 MeV proton levels reached a peak value of 7 pfu at 21/2010 UTC, but have since decreased well below the 1 pfu SWPC warning threshold.

Celebrating Astronaut Alan Shepard's 100th Birthday

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