Last major update issued on September 30, 2004 at 01:55 UTC.
[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and electron fluence charts (updated daily)]
[Solar cycles 21-23 (last update September 2, 2004)]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22 and 23 (last update September 2, 2004)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 2, 10, 13, 17, 20 and 23 (last update September
2, 2004)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2004 (last update August 28,
2004)]
[Archived reports (last update September 27, 2004)]
The geomagnetic field was quiet to unsettled on September 29. Solar wind speed ranged between 354 and 417 km/sec.
Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 89.8. The planetary A
index was 5 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 5.0).
Three hour interval K indices: 10112223 (planetary), 10113321 (Boulder).
The background x-ray flux is at the class A8 level.
At midnight there were 5 spotted regions on the visible disk. The solar flare activity level was very low. No C class events were recorded during the day.
Region 10675 was quiet and stable.
Region 10676 was quiet and stable.
Spotted regions not numbered by NOAA/SEC:
[S455] This region emerged on September 29 to the north of region 10675. Location at midnight: N04E23.
[S456] A new region emerged in the northeast quadrant on September 29. Location at midnight: N16E44.
[S457] A new region emerged in the southwest quadrant on September 29. Location at midnight: S08W06.
September 27-29: No obviously earth directed CMEs observed (no LASCO images).
Coronal hole history (since late October 2002)
Compare today's report with the situation one solar rotation ago: 28
days ago 27 days ago 26 days ago
No obvious coronal holes are currently approaching geoeffective positions.
Processed SOHO/EIT 284 image at 19:06 UTC on September 10. The darkest areas on the solar disk are likely coronal holes.
The geomagnetic field is expected to be mostly quiet on September 30 - October 2.
| Coronal holes (1) | Coronal mass ejections (2) | M and X class flares (3) |
 |
|
|
1) Effects from a coronal hole could reach Earth within the next 5 days. When the high speed stream has arrived
the color changes to green.
2) Material from a CME is likely to impact Earth within 96 hours.
3) There is a possibility of either M or X class flares within the next 48 hours.
Green: 0-20% probability, Yellow: 20-60% probability, Red: 60-100% probability.
Long distance low and medium frequency (below 2 MHz) propagation along east-west paths over high and upper middle latitudes is good. Propagation along long distance north-south paths is poor. Trans Atlantic propagation conditions are monitored every night on 1470 kHz. Dominant stations tonight: none. A number of weak signals were observed, most of them from North American stations. On other frequencies the strongest signals were from stations located on Newfoundland and in or near New York.
Local sunrise and pre sunrise propagation on September 29 was good to very good towards eastern and central parts of the USA. KOA Denver on 850 kHz had an excellent signal as the westernmost station, on 610 kHz both WTVN and WIOD could be heard with fair signals on the EWE.
Compare to the previous day's image.
Data for all numbered solar regions according to the Solar Region Summary provided by NOAA/SEC. Comments are my own, as is the STAR spot count (spots observed at or inside a few hours before midnight) and data for regions not numbered by SEC or where SEC has observed no spots. SEC active region numbers in the table below and in the active region map above are the historic SEC/USAF numbers.
| Active region | Date numbered | SEC spot count |
STAR spot count |
Location at midnight | Area | Classification | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10675 | 2004.09.25 | 1 | 1 | S08E22 | 0090 | HAX | |
| 10676 | 2004.09.28 | 1 | 1 | S11E64 | 0060 | HAX | |
| S455 | emerged on 2004.09.29 |
3 | N04E23 | 0030 | CSO | ||
| S456 | emerged on 2004.09.29 |
1 | N16E44 | 0000 | AXX | ||
| S457 | emerged on 2004.09.29 |
1 | S08W06 | 0000 | AXX | ||
| Total spot count: | 2 | 7 | |||||
| SSN: | 22 | 57 | |||||
| Month | Average solar flux at Earth |
International sunspot number | Smoothed sunspot number |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000.04 | 184.2 | 125.5 | 120.8 cycle 23 sunspot max. |
| 2000.07 | 202.3 | 170.1 | 119.8 |
| 2001.12 | 235.1 | 132.2 | 114.6 (-0.9) |
| 2003.07 | 127.7 | 83.3 | 61.8 (-3.2) |
| 2003.08 | 122.1 | 72.7 | 60.1 (-1.7) |
| 2003.09 | 112.2 | 48.7 | 59.6 (-0.5) |
| 2003.10 | 151.7 | 65.5 | 58.2 (-1.4) |
| 2003.11 | 140.8 | 67.3 | 56.8 (-1.4) |
| 2003.12 | 114.9 | 46.5 | 54.8 (-2.0) |
| 2004.01 | 114.1 | 37.7 | 52.0 (-2.8) |
| 2004.02 | 107.0 | 45.8 | 49.3 (-2.7) |
| 2004.03 | 112.0 | 49.1 | (47.0 predicted, -2.3) |
| 2004.04 | 101.2 | 39.3 | (44.8 predicted, -2.2) |
| 2004.05 | 99.8 | 41.5 | (41.5 predicted, -3.3) |
| 2004.06 | 97.4 | 43.2 | (38.6 predicted, -2.9) |
| 2004.07 | 119.1 | 51.0 | (36.8 predicted, -1.8) |
| 2004.08 | 109.6 | 40.9 | (35.4 predicted, -1.4) |
| 2004.09 | 103.6 (1) | 48.8 (2) | (34.2 predicted, -1.2) |
1) Running average based on the daily 20:00 UTC observed solar flux value at 2800 MHz.
2) Unofficial, accumulated value based on the Boulder (NOAA/SEC) sunspot number. The official international sunspot number is typically
30-50% less.
This report has been prepared by Jan Alvestad. It is based partly on my own observations and analysis, and partly on data from some of these solar data sources. All time references are to the UTC day. Comments and suggestions are always welcome.
| [DX-Listeners' Club] |