The ChipWitch

Testing the First U.S. Crewed Launch Vehicle, Mercury-Redstone

Images

Thursday, 24 August 2023

A Mercury-Redstone launch vehicle awaits test-firing in the Redstone Test Stand at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama in this photo from the late 1950s.

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Planetary Positions

26.12.2024 at 19:09:09 UTC

chart wheel

Planet	Longitude
The Sun	05 Cap 30' 37"
The Moon	17 Sco 28' 14"
Mercury	13 Sag 36' 50"
Venus	22 Aqu 03' 55"
Mars	03 Leo 28' 39" R
Jupiter	13 Gem 47' 56" R
Saturn	14 Pis 08' 58"
Uranus	23 Tau 46' 19" R
Neptune	27 Pis 14' 01"
Pluto	00 Aqu 54' 27"

Solar Status

BZ Status:	1
Proton Density:	5.16
Proton Speed:	366.2 k/sec
KP Status:	0.67

Type	Dec 26	Dec 27	Dec 28
Active	39%	40%	25%
Minor	40%	15%	10%
Moderate	20%	1%	1%
Strong	1%	1%	1%
Kp Index Prediction
00-03UT	4.33	3.67	2.67
03-06UT	3.00	2.67	2.33
06-09UT	3.33	2.33	2.00
09-12UT	4.33	2.33	1.67
12-15UT	4.67	2.00	2.00
15-18UT	4.00	1.67	2.00
18-21UT	3.33	2.00	2.00
21-00UT	3.33	2.33	2.33
Solar Activity
Solar activity reached high levels this period. The largest flare of the period was an M7.3/2b at 26/0315 UTC, from Region 3938 (N20E46, Dsi/beta-gamma). Region 3932 (S19W06, Fkc/beta-gamma) was stable, yet inactive. New Region 3939 (S17E67, Cso/beta) was numbered, and 3929 (N15W38, L=194) decayed to plage. The remaining regions were either stable or in decay.
Solar Wind
Solar wind parameters on average slowly decreased throughout the period. Total field was at nominal background levels, with a peak of 5 nT, and Bz varying between -5 and +4 nT. Solar wind speeds started the period around 500 km/s and decreased to around 400 km/s. The phi angle remained predominantly 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 reached moderate levels.

Solar Monitor

Solar Wind

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