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NASA Awards Contract to Maintain Webb Telescope Operations

Solar System News

Thursday, 15 December 2022

NASA has selected Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation of Redondo Beach, California, to support the James Webb Space Telescope Phase E – Operations and Sustainment contract.

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Planetary Positions

24.04.2024 at 17:50:29 UTC

chart wheel

Planet	Longitude
The Sun	05 Tau 01' 51"
The Moon	13 Sco 30' 21"
Mercury	16 Ari 00' 27" R
Venus	24 Ari 09' 44"
Mars	25 Pis 26' 31"
Jupiter	22 Tau 40' 07"
Saturn	16 Pis 04' 13"
Uranus	22 Tau 01' 58"
Neptune	28 Pis 44' 06"
Pluto	02 Aqu 05' 19"

Solar Status

BZ Status:	2
Proton Density:	0.54
Proton Speed:	360.5 k/sec
KP Status:	1.33

Type	Apr 24	Apr 25	Apr 26
Active	25%	35%	35%
Minor	10%	30%	25%
Moderate	1%	15%	15%
Strong	1%	1%	1%
Kp Index Prediction
00-03UT	3.00	3.00	4.33
03-06UT	2.67	2.67	4.00
06-09UT	2.67	3.67	3.33
09-12UT	2.00	4.33	3.00
12-15UT	2.00	3.67	2.67
15-18UT	1.67	3.33	2.67
18-21UT	1.67	2.67	2.00
21-00UT	2.67	4.00	3.33
Solar Activity
Solar activity was moderate, but did decrease some over the past 24 hours, with four low-level M-class events observed. The visible solar disk remained littered with sunspot groups, with fourteen designated spot groups at this time and making some sunspot region locations difficult to ascertain in several cases - especially with the many spot clusters in the far southwest. That large area of spot groups consists of five groups in close proximity and shifting areas of magnetic connection.
Solar Wind
Solar wind conditions were indicative of a slow regime. Total IMF strength decreased from 5-6 nT to 2-4 nT and the Bz component underwent mainly weak deviations. Solar wind speed varied primarily between 350-400 km/s and the phi angle was negative until just after 24/0600 UTC, when it deflected into a positive sector.
Energetic Particle
The greater than 2 MeV electron flux was normal to moderate and the greater than 10 MeV proton flux was at background levels.

Solar Monitor

Solar Wind

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