Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on December 5, 2012 at 04:55 UTC.

[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and electron fluence charts (updated daily)]
[Solar cycles 23-24 (last update December 1, 2012)] [Cycle 24 progress (last update December 2, 2012) ]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last update December 1, 2012)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 24 (last update December 1, 2012)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (last update April 5, 2007)]
[Archived reports since January 2003 (last update November 4, 2012)]

[POES auroral activity level since October 2009 - updated October 7, 2012]
[Solar polar fields vs solar cycles - updated November 27, 2012]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet to unsettled on December 4. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 346 and 458 km/s under the influence of what was likely a low speed coronal hole stream.

Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 96.2 (decreasing 5.5 over the last solar rotation). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 6 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 6.3). Three hour interval K indices: 13311111 (planetary), 13210011 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux was at the class B1 level.

At midnight UTC the visible solar disk had 7 spotted active regions (in 2K resolution SDO images).

Region 11621 [N15W57] lost the trailer spots. New flux emerged just ahead of the leader spots, possibly a new region. Awaiting further development the two new spots are included in this region. There's weak polarity intermixing.
Region 11623 [N07W21] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 11625 [N12W22] was quiet and stable.
New region 11626 [N12E25] emerged on December 2 and was numbered by SWPC 2 days later.

Spotted regions not numbered by NOAA/SWPC:
S2091 [S15E05] developed slowly and quietly.
New region S2092 [N11E78] rotated into view.
New region S2093 [N23E31] emerged with tiny spots.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

December 2-4: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in LASCO and STEREO imagery.

Coronal holes

Coronal hole history (since October 2002)
Compare today's report to the situation one solar rotation ago: 28 days ago 27 days ago 26 days ago

No obvious coronal holes are currently in or near Earth facing positions.

Coronal hole map

The above coronal hole map is based on a method where coronal holes are detected automatically. While the method may need some fine tuning, it has significant advantages over detecting coronal holes manually. The main improvement is the ability to detect coronal holes at and just beyond the solar limbs. Early results using this method for SDO images over a span of several weeks indicate a good match between coronal holes observed over the visible disk and their extent and position at the east and west limbs. Note that the polar coronal holes are easily detected using this method, the extent and intensity of both CHs are consistent with other data sources.

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. Propagation on long distance northeast-southwest paths is poor.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet on December 5-8.

Coronal holes (1) Coronal mass ejection (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

Click on image for higher resolution image) Compare to the previous day's image. 0.5k image

When available the active region map has a coronal hole polarity overlay where red (pink) is negative and blue (blue-green) is positive.

Data for all numbered solar regions according to the Solar Region Summary provided by NOAA/SWPC. 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 SWPC or where SWPC has observed no spots. SWPC active region numbers in the table below and in the active region map above are the historic SWPC/USAF numbers.

Active region Date numbered
detected
Spot count Location at midnight Area Classification SDO / HMI 4K continuum
image with magnetic polarity overlay
Comment
SWPC STAR SDO SWPC STAR Current Previous
2K 1K
11621 2012.11.24 8 10 4 N15W56 0060 DAO BXO

area: 0020

11623 2012.11.26
2012.11.27
4 10 5 N08W18 0150 DSO CAO

area: 0250

11624 2012.11.27
2012.11.28
      N19W74           plage
11625 2012.11.28
2012.11.29
4 8 4 N14W18 0060 CSO CSO  
S2085 2012.11.29       S02W58           plage
S2086 2012.12.01       N28W02           plage
S2087 2012.12.01       S18W53           plage
11626 2012.12.02
2012.12.04
2 1 1 N11E24 0010 HAX AXX  
S2089 2012.12.02       N15E25           plage
S2090 2012.12.03       S16E14         plage
S2091 2012.12.03   1 1 S15E05 0010   AXX  
S2092 2012.12.04   1 1 N11E78 0010   AXX    
S2093 2012.12.04   2   N23E31 0000   BXO    
Total spot count: 18 33 16  
Sunspot number: 58 103 76  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 38 43 26  (Sum of total spot count + classification weighting for each AR. Classification weighting: X=0, R=3, A/S=5, H/K=10)
Relative sunspot number (Wolf number): 35 36 42 k * (sunspot number). k = 0.6 for SWPC, k = 0.35 for STAR SDO 2K, k = 0.55 for STAR SDO 1K

Monthly solar cycle data

Month Average measured solar flux International sunspot number (SIDC) Smoothed sunspot number Average ap
(3)
2011.09 133.8 78.0 59.5 (+0.5) 12.27
2011.10 137.3 88.0 59.9 (+0.4) 8.28
2011.11 153.5 96.7 61.1 (+1.2) 5.55
2011.12 141.3 73.0 63.4 (+2.3) 3.78
2012.01 132.5 58.3 65.5 (+2.1) 7.15
2012.02 106.5 32.9 66.9 (+1.4)
possible cycle 24 max
8.81
2012.03 114.7 64.3 66.8 (-0.1) 16.08
2012.04 113.0 55.2 64.6 (-2.2) 10.10
2012.05 121.5 69.0 61.7 (-2.9) 7.06
2012.06 119.6 64.5 (59.5 projected, -2.2) 10.08
2012.07 133.9 66.5 (58.8 projected, -0.7) 13.90
2012.08 115.4 63.1 (60.1 projected, +1.3) 7.96
2012.09 122.9 61.5 (61.1 projected, +1.0) 8.07
2012.10 123.3 53.3 (60.7 projected, -0.4) 9.97
2012.11 121.3 61.4 (60.0 projected, -0.7) 7.15
2012.12 98.1 (1)  6.3 (2A) / 48.5 (2B) / 58.6 (2C) (59.3 projected, -0.7) (4.91)

1) Running average based on the daily 20:00 UTC observed solar flux value at 2800 MHz.
2A) Current impact on the monthly sunspot number based on the Boulder (NOAA/SWPC) sunspot number (accumulated daily sunspots / month days). The official SIDC international sunspot number is typically 30-50% lower. 2B) Boulder SN current month average to date. 2C) STAR SDO 1K Wolf number 30 day average.
3) Running average based on the quicklook and definitive Potsdam WDC ap indices. Values in red are based on the definitive international Potsdam WDC ap indices.

This report has been prepared by Jan Alvestad. It is based on analysis of data from whatever sources are available at the time the report is prepared. All time references are to the UTC day. Comments and suggestions are always welcome.

SDO images are courtesy of NASA/SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams.