Last major update issued on October 30, 2006 at 04:40 UTC.
[Solar and
geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and
electron fluence charts (updated daily)]
[Solar cycles 21-23
(last update October 2, 2006)]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison
of cycles 21, 22 and 23 (last update October 2, 2006)]
[Graphical
comparison of cycles 2, 10, 13, 17, 20 and 23 (last update October 2, 2006)]
[Historical solar and
geomagnetic data charts 1954-2005 (last update March 3, 2006)]
[Archived reports (last update
October 2, 2006)]
The geomagnetic field was unsettled to active on October 29. Solar wind speed ranged between 468 and 572 km/s (all day average 519 km/s - increasing 139 km/s over the previous day) under the influence of a high speed stream from CH245.
Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 73.3. The planetary A index was 21 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 21.0). Three hour interval K indices: 34433344 (planetary), 34433344 (Boulder).
The background x-ray flux is at the class A2 level.
At midnight there was 1 spotted region on the visible solar disk. The solar flare activity level was very low. No C class events were recorded during the day.
Spotted regions not numbered by NOAA/SEC:
Region S677 rotated into view at the southeast limb on October 29.
October 27-29: No obvious partly or fully Earth directed CMEs were detected in LASCO imagery.
Coronal hole history (since late October 2002)
Compare today's report to the situation one solar rotation ago:
28 days ago
27 days ago
26 days ago
A fragmented trans equatorial coronal hole structure (CH245) was in an Earth facing position on October 24-26. The extension into the northern hemisphere is poorly defined. Recurrent coronal hole (CH246) in the northern hemisphere will likely rotate into an Earth facing position on October 31. A new coronal hole formed in the northern hemisphere (just north of the equator and near the central meridian in the northwest quadrant) on October 28.
Processed SOHO/EIT 284 image at 01:06 UTC on October 28. The darkest areas on the solar disk are likely coronal holes.
The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to unsettled on October 30-31. Mostly quiet conditions are likely on November 1-2 while some unsettled and active intervals are possible on November 3 when the stream from CH246 arrives.
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) Effects from a CME are likely to be observed at 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 very poor. Propagation on long distance northeast-southwest paths is fair to poor.
Monitoring remarks from a location near N58E06: Only two stations from North America were heard at 04h UTC: 590 VOCM and 1510 WWZN - both with poor signals. Two Cuban stations were heard as well, 710 and 890 kHz. On more southerly paths some stations from Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay were audible.
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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10919 | 2006.10.27 | S15W28 | plage | ||||
S677 | 2006.10.29 | 1 | S05E71 | 0020 | HRX | ||
Total spot count: | 0 | 1 | |||||
SSN: | 0 | 11 |
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) |
2005.08 | 90.5 | 36.4 | 27.4 (-1.7) |
2005.09 | 91.1 | 21.9 | 25.8 (-1.6) |
2005.10 | 77.0 | 8.7 | 25.5 (-0.3) |
2005.11 | 86.3 | 18.0 | 24.9 (-0.6) |
2005.12 | 90.7 | 41.1 | 23.0 (-1.9) |
2006.01 | 83.4 | 15.3 | 20.8 (-2.2) |
2006.02 | 76.5 | 4.9 | 18.6 (-2.2) |
2006.03 | 75.4 | 10.6 | 17.3 (-1.3) |
2006.04 | 89.0 | 30.2 | (17.1 predicted, -0.2) |
2006.05 | 80.9 | 22.2 | (16.8 predicted, -0.3) |
2006.06 | 76.5 | 13.9 | (15.1 predicted, -1.7) |
2006.07 | 75.7 | 12.2 | (13.2 predicted, -1.9) |
2006.08 | 79.0 | 12.9 | (12.8 predicted, -0.4) |
2006.09 | 77.8 | 14.5 | (12.6 predicted, -0.2) |
2006.10 | 74.0 (1) | 14.2 (2) | (11.6 predicted, -1.0) |
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% lower.
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] |