Saharan Dust in the Wind

Images

Thursday, 29 August 2024

Dense bands of dust streamed offshore from southern Morocco in summer 2024. The VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) on the Suomi NPP satellite acquired this image of a plume of Saharan dust as winds lofted it over the Atlantic Ocean on Aug. 24, 2024.

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory image by Lauren Dauphin, using VIIRS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE, GIBS/Worldview, and the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership

Planetary Positions

02.11.2024 at 11:30:35 UTC

Planet	Longitude
The Sun	10 Sco 32' 15"
The Moon	20 Sco 58' 53"
Mercury	29 Sco 32' 52"
Venus	18 Sag 52' 54"
Mars	29 Can 24' 39"
Jupiter	20 Gem 22' 14" R
Saturn	12 Pis 50' 34" R
Uranus	25 Tau 50' 31" R
Neptune	27 Pis 28' 25" R
Pluto	29 Cap 45' 08"

Solar Status

BZ Status:	-8
Proton Density:	0.74
Proton Speed:	464.5 k/sec
KP Status:	1.67

Type	Nov 2	Nov 3	Nov 4
Active	25%	35%	35%
Minor	5%	25%	20%
Moderate	1%	5%	5%
Strong	1%	1%	1%
Kp Index Prediction
00-03UT	2.33	2.67	3.67
03-06UT	1.33	3.00	2.67
06-09UT	1.00	2.67	2.67
09-12UT	1.00	2.67	2.00
12-15UT	2.33	2.33	1.67
15-18UT	2.33	2.67	1.67
18-21UT	2.67	3.67	1.67
21-00UT	2.67	3.67	2.67
Solar Activity
Solar activity was moderate this period with four R1 (Minor) events observed. New Region 3881 (S09E26) was numbered and Region 3871 (S09W62) reemerged with spots. Growth was noted in Regions 3871 and 3878 (N16E10) while the remaining regions were mostly stable. No Earth-directed CMEs were detected in available data.
Solar Wind
Solar wind parameters were slightly enhanced this period. Total field strength ranged 6-9 nT and the Bz component varied +8/-7 nT. Solar wind speeds gradually decreased from 500 km/s early in the period to around 400 km/s.
Energetic Particle
The greater than 10 MeV proton flux, which reached S1 (Minor) levels beginning at 26/1910 UTC and reached a peak of 364 pfu at 28/1350 UTC, decreased below the S1 level at 01/0735 UTC. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux was at normal and moderate levels. .Forecast... There is a chance for the greater than 10 MeV proton flux to reach S1 (Minor) levels over 02-04 Nov. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux is expected to be at normal to moderate levels through 04 Nov.

Saharan Dust in the Wind

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