Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Last major update issued on December 6, 2007 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 4, 2007)]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22 and 23 (last update October 4, 2007)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 2, 10, 13, 17, 20 and 23 (last update October 4, 2007)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (last update April 5, 2007)]
[Archived reports (last update October 3, 2007)]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet on December 5. Solar wind speed ranged between 327 and 371 km/s (average speed was 351 km/s, increasing 63 km/s over the previous day) under the influence of a low speed stream associated with CH302.

Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 75.3. The planetary A index was 2 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 2.5). Three hour interval K indices: 10001101 (planetary), 21001101 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux is at the class A1-A2 level.

At midnight there were 2 spotted regions on the visible solar disk. The solar flare activity level was very low. No C class events were recorded during the day.

Region 10977 decayed slowly and quietly.

Spotted regions not numbered by NOAA/SWPC:
[S712] This region rotated into view at the southeast limb on December 6. The region could easily produce a C class flare.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

December 3-5: No obvious fully or partly Earth directed CMEs were observed in LASCO imagery.

Coronal holes

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 small coronal hole (CH302) in the southern hemisphere was in an Earth facing position on November 30 - December 1. A recurrent trans equatorial coronal hole (CH303) will likely rotate into an Earth facing position on December 7-8.

Processed SOHO/EIT 195 image at 00:00 UTC on December 6. The darkest areas on the solar disk are likely coronal holes.

Propagation

Long distance low and medium frequency (below 2 MHz) propagation along paths north of due west over high and upper middle latitudes is fair to good. Propagation on long distance northeast-southwest paths is poor.

Monitoring remarks from a location near N58E06: November 12: During the evening fairly strong signals from east coast USA stations. 1470 WJDY, 1500 WFIF and 1520 WIZZ were all good on their daytime power. The best Trans Atlantic propagation sector was 270-310 degrees.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet on December 5-10. A weak to moderate disturbance could begin on December 11 due to effects from CH303.

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.

Active solar regions (Recent map)

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
10976 2007.12.01     S09W29     plage
10977 2007.12.02 3 2 S06E13 0020 DSO classification was CRO at midnight
S712 2007.12.02   7 S07E80 0070 DAI  
Total spot count: 3 9  
SSN: 13 29  

Monthly solar cycle data

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)
2006.09 77.8 14.4 15.6 (+0.0)
2006.10 74.3 10.4 14.2 (-1.4)
2006.11 86.3 21.5 12.7 (-1.5)
2006.12 84.5 13.6 12.1 (-0.6)
2007.01 83.3 16.9 12.0 (-0.1)
2007.02 77.7 10.6 11.6 (-0.4)
2007.03 72.2 4.8 10.8 (-0.8)
2007.04 72.4 3.7 9.9 (-0.9)
2007.05 74.4 11.7 8.7 (-1.2)
2007.06 73.7 12.0 (7.5 predicted, -1.2)
2007.07 71.6 10.0 (6.7 predicted, -0.8)
2007.08 69.1 6.2 (6.1 predicted, -0.6)
2007.09 67.1 2.4 (6.2 predicted, +0.1)
2007.10 67.4 0.9 (6.7 predicted, +0.5)
2007.11 69.6 1.7 (7.3 predicted, +0.6)
2007.12 73.3 (1) 2.5 (2) (7.6 predicted, +0.3)

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]