Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Last major update issued on December 10, 2007 at 04:55 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 very quiet on December 9. Solar wind speed ranged between 277 and 365 km/s (average speed was 336 km/s, increasing 62 km/s over the previous day).

Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 88.9. The planetary A index was 2 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 2.1). Three hour interval K indices: 00000111 (planetary), 11001110 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux is at the class A7 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 10978 gained some spots in the northern part but remains magnetically fairly simple structured. A C class flare is possible.
Region 10979 decayed slighlty and is rotating over the northwest limb.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

December 7-9: No obvious fully or partly Earth directed CMEs were observed in incomplete 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 recurrent trans equatorial coronal hole (CH303) was in an Earth facing position on December 8-10.

Processed SOHO/EIT 195 image at 00:00 UTC on December 10. 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 good to very good. Propagation on long distance northeast-southwest paths is poor.

Monitoring remarks from a location near N58E06: December 8: Excellent signals were noted on nearly all TA frequencies during my local morning. Stations like 1290 CJBK and 1330 WLOL had huge signals. The Vancouver stations on 1320 and 1470 were occasionally very good.  The best Trans Atlantic propagation sector was 290-320 degrees.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet on December 10. Quiet to active conditions are likely on December 11-13 due to effects from CH303, there's a chance of isolated minor storm intervals on December 11 and 12.

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     S09W81     plage
10977 2007.12.02     S05W42     plage
10978 2007.12.06 20 29 S09E26 0220 DKC classification was DSI at midnight
10979 2007.12.08 2 2 N08W78 0080 HAX  
S714 2007.12.07     S05E16     plage
Total spot count: 22 31  
SSN: 42 51  

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 78.1 (1) 6.7 (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.


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