Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

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

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet on July 16. Solar wind speed ranged between 445 and 544 km/s (average speed was 465 km/s, decreasing 76 km/s from the previous day).

Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 72.9. The planetary A index was 6 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 5.5). Three hour interval K indices: 12212112 (planetary), 22221121 (Boulder).

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

Region 10963 decayed slowly and quietly.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

July 14-16: No obvious fully or partly Earth directed CMEs were observed.

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 coronal hole (CH278) in the southeastern quadrant was in a potentially geoeffective position on July 15-16.

.

Processed SOHO/EIT 195 image at 23:15 UTC on July 16. The darkest areas on the solar disk are likely coronal holes.

Propagation

/No monitoring early on July 17 due to thunderstorm activity/

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 poor.

Monitoring remarks from a location near N58E06: July 16: 950 kHz Radio Belgrano and 1600 kHz Rádio 9 de Julho had the best signals of only a few audible stations from South America.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet on 17-18. A high speed stream from CH278 could arrive on July 19 and cause some unsettled and active intervals.

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
10963 2007.07.07 9 7 S05W40 0240 EAO  
10964 2007.07.13 1   N03W71 0020 AXX spotless
Total spot count: 10 7  
SSN: 30 17  

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)
2006.05 80.9 22.3 17.3 (+0.2)
2006.06 76.5 13.9 16.3 (-1.0)
2006.07 75.7 12.2 15.3 (-1.0)
2006.08 79.0 12.9 15.6 (+0.3)
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 (11.9 predicted, -0.2)
2007.02 77.7 10.6 (11.3 predicted, -0.6)
2007.03 72.2 4.8 (10.8 predicted, -0.5)
2007.04 72.4 3.7 (10.8 predicted, unchanged)
2007.05 74.4 11.7 (10.6 predicted, -0.2)
2007.06 73.7 12.0 (10.7 predicted, +0.1)
2007.07 74.6 (1) 12.6 (2) (11.0 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]