Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on June 2, 2012 at 05:50 UTC.

[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and electron fluence charts (updated daily)
[Solar cycles 21-24 (last update June 2, 2012)]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last update June 2, 2012)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 24 (last update June 2, 2012)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (last update April 5, 2007)]
[Archived reports since January 2003 (last update May 3, 2012)]

[POES auroral activity level since October 2009 - updated June 2, 2012]
[Solar polar fields vs solar cycles - updated June 27, 2011]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet on June 1. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 344 and 386 km/s.

Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 128.6 (increasing 12.6 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: 6.0). Three hour interval K indices: 12122212 (planetary), 12121212 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux is at the class B5 level.

At midnight UTC the visible solar disk had 13 spotted active regions (in 2K resolution SDO images).

Region 11490 [S13W52] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 11492 [S13W23] decayed further retaining only rudimentary penumbra on a couple of spots.
Region 11493 [N14E49] developed slowly and produced only a single C1 event. The region has polarity intermixing. A minor M class flare is possible.
Region 11494 [S17E60] was quiet and stable.
Region 11495 [S15E07] decayed slightly and was quiet.
New region 11496 [N15E60] rotated into view on May 30 and was numbered by SWPC 2 days later.
New region 11497 [S22E35] emerged on May 30 and developed on June 1 when it got a number from SWPC.
New region 11498 [N07E70] rotated into view on May 31 with SWPC assigning a number the next day.

Spotted active regions not numbered by NOAA/SWPC:
S1682
[S22W27] reemerged with a few tiny spots.
S1693
[S20W05] was quiet and stable.
S1696 [S27W58] reemerged with a few small spots.
New region S1703 [N10E52] emerged with several spots.
New region S1704 [N13E75] rotated into view with several spots.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

May 30 - June 1: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in LASCO or 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

A large recurrent trans equatorial coronal hole (CH520) will be in an Earth facing position on June 1-4.

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

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet on June 2-3. Unsettled to minor storm conditions are likely on June 4-6 due to effects from CH520.

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

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
11490 2012.05.23
2012.05.24
11 7 3 S13W49 0150 DSO CSO

area: 0090

location: S13W52

11492 2012.05.24
2012.05.25
22 10 6 S13W22 0080 ESO DRO

area: 0040

S1682 2012.05.25   3   S22W27 0000   BXO    
S1690 2012.05.26       S07W31           plage
S1691 2012.05.26       S26W38           plage
11495 2012.05.27
2012.05.31
17 14 9 S14E06 0060 CSI DRI

location: S15E07

area: 0040

S1693 2012.05.28   1 1 S20W05 0000   AXX  
S1694 2012.05.28       N09W20           plage
S1696 2012.05.29   5 3 S27W58 0010   BXO    
11494 2012.05.30
2012.05.31
3 3 3 S16E56 0140 CSO DSO area: 0180

location: S17E60

11493 2012.05.30
2012.05.31
4 13 9 N14E49 0140 DSO DAI beta-gamma

area: 0350

11496 2012.05.30
2012.06.01
5 7 4 N16E59 0120 CSO DAO location: N15E60

area: 0180

11497 2012.05.30
2012.06.01
6 12 7 S22E34 0030 CSI DAI beta-gamma

area: 0160

11498 2012.05.31
2012.06.01
3 4 4 N07E69 0080 CSO DAO  
S1702 2012.05.31       S27W06         plage
S1703 2012.06.01   10 5 N10E52 0020   CRO    
S1704 2012.06.01   4 3 N13E75 0080   DSO    
Total spot count: 71 93 57  
Sunspot number: 151 223 177  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted penumbral SN: 111 137 101  (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): 91 78 97 k * (sunspot number). k = 0.6 for SWPC, k = 0.35 (changed from 0.45 on March 1, 2011) 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)
2008.07 65.7 (SF minimum) 0.5 2.8 (-0.4)  
2008.12 69.2 0.8 1.7 (-)
sunspot minimum
 
2011.03 115.0 56.2 36.9 (+3.5) 8.18
2011.04 112.6 54.4 41.8 (+4.9) 8.83
2011.05 95.8 41.6 47.6 (+5.8) 8.94
2011.06 95.8 37.0 53.2 (+5.6) 8.06
2011.07 94.2 43.9 57.2 (+4.0) 8.16
2011.08 101.7 50.6 59.0 (+1.8) 7.26
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 (64.3 projected, +3.2) 3.78
2012.01 132.5 58.3 (68.0 projected, +3.7) 7.15
2012.02 106.5 33.1 (71.3 projected, +3.3) 8.81
2012.03 114.7 64.2 (73.0 projected, +1.7) 16.08
2012.04 113.0 55.2 (73.2 projected, +0.2) 10.10
2012.05 121.5 69.0 (73.2 projected, +0.0) 8.75
2012.06 128.6 (1) 5.0 (2A) / 151.0 (2B) (73.9 projected, +0.7) (6.0)

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) Month average to date.
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.