Last major update issued on August 24, 2013 at 06:30 UTC.
[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated
daily)]
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[Solar cycles 23-24 (last update August 1, 2013)] [Cycle
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[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last
update August 1, 2013)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and
24 (last update August 1, 2013)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006
(last update April 5, 2007)]
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August 4, 2013)]
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[Solar polar fields vs solar cycles - updated
August 20, 2013]
[Presentation
3rd
SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013 (pdf)]
The geomagnetic field was quiet to active on August 23. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 443 and 545 km/s under the influence of CME effects.
Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 124.1 (increasing 16.2 over the last solar rotation). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 12 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 12.0). Three hour interval K indices: 43332222 (planetary), 43333232 (Boulder).
The background x-ray flux was at the class B4 level.
At midnight UTC the visible solar disk had 16 spotted active regions (in 2K resolution SDO images).
Region 11820 [S13W71] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 11823 [S07W35] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 11825 [N15W82] was quiet and stable.
Region 11827 [S18E07] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 11828 [N15E15] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 11830 [S06W67] was quiet and stable.
Region 11831 [N12W63] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 11832 [N24W62] decayed quickly and quietly.
New region 11833 [N19E06] emerged on August 22 and decayed on August 23
when it was numbered by SWPC.
Spotted regions not numbered by SWPC:
S2611 [S10W03] was quiet and stable.
S2623 [S19W12] reemerged with penumbra spots.
S2628 [S05W59] was quiet and stable.
New region S2629 [N07E51] emerged with a penumbra spot.
New region S2630 [N07E10] emerged with two spots.
New region S2631 [N13E81] rotated into view with penumbra spots.
New region S2632 [S18W31] emerged with a penumbra spot.
August 21-23: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in LASCO and STEREO imagery.
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 trans equatorial coronal hole (CH581) was in an Earth facing position on August 22.
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 fair to good.
The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to unsettled on August 24-26 with a chance of active intervals on August 25-26 due to effects from CH581.
| 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.
(Click on image for 2K resolution) 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 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 | ||||||||||
| 11820 | 2013.08.11 2013.08.13 |
3 | 3 | 1 | S12W73 | 0070 | CAO | DAO |
 |
 |
|
| 11823 | 2013.08.14 2013.08.15 |
1 | 3 | 1 | S06W37 | 0100 | HSX | CSO |
 |
 |
area: 0170 |
| 11822 | 2013.08.15 | S11W56 | plage | ||||||||
| S2608 | 2013.08.16 | S21W59 | plage | ||||||||
| 11827 | 2013.08.17 2013.08.18 |
8 | 16 | 4 | S18E05 | 0030 | CRO | DRO |
 |
 |
|
| S2611 | 2013.08.17 | 3 | S10W03 | 0004 | AXX |
 |
 |
||||
| 11826 | 2013.08.17 2013.08.18 |
N13W55 |
plage, SWPC/USAF moved this region to the location of AR
S2617 real location: N08W47 |
||||||||
| 11825 | 2013.08.17 2013.08.18 |
1 | 2 | 1 | N15W86 | 0030 | HAX | CSO |
 |
 |
|
| 11828 | 2013.08.18 2013.08.19 |
3 | 16 | 4 | N15E15 | 0020 | CRO | CRO |
 |
 |
area: 0030 |
| S2617 | 2013.08.18 | N14W49 | plage | ||||||||
| S2621 | 2013.08.19 | N20E10 | plage | ||||||||
| S2622 | 2013.08.19 | S28W54 | plage | ||||||||
| S2623 | 2013.08.20 | 6 | S19W12 | 0008 | BXO |
 |
|||||
| 11831 | 2013.08.20 2013.08.21 |
7 | 9 | 6 | N14W63 | 0060 | DAO | DSO |
 |
 |
area: 0120 |
| 11832 | 2013.08.20 2013.08.21 |
6 | 5 | 3 | N25W61 | 0030 | CRO | BXO |
 |
 |
|
| 11829 | 2013.08.20 2013.08.21 |
N05W89 |
 |
plage | |||||||
| 11830 | 2013.08.21 | 5 | 6 | 3 | S05W64 | 0070 | DAO | DSO |
 |
 |
location: S06W67 |
| 11833 | 2013.08.22 2013.08.23 |
3 | 2 | N18E07 | 0010 | BXO | AXX |
 |
 |
area: 0006 | |
| S2628 | 2013.08.22 | 4 | 2 | S05W59 | 0030 | CRO |
 |
 |
|||
| S2629 | 2013.08.23 | 1 | N07E51 | 0002 | AXX |
 |
|||||
| S2630 | 2013.08.23 | 2 | 2 | N07E10 | 0010 | CRO |
 |
||||
| S2631 | 2013.08.23 | 2 | N13E81 | 0006 | AXX |
 |
|||||
| S2632 | 2013.08.23 | 1 | S18W31 | 0001 | AXX |
 |
|||||
| Total spot count: | 37 | 81 | 27 | ||||||||
| Sunspot number: | 127 | 241 | 127 | (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions) | |||||||
| Weighted SN: | 71 | 118 | 64 | (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): | 76 | 84 | 70 | k * (sunspot number). k = 0.6 for SWPC, k = 0.35 for STAR SDO 2K, k = 0.55 for STAR SDO 1K | |||||||
| Month | Average measured solar flux | International sunspot number (SIDC) | Smoothed sunspot number | Average ap (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011.11 | 153.5 (cycle peak) | 96.7 (cycle peak) | 61.1 (+1.2) | 5.55 |
| 2012.02 | 106.5 | 32.9 | 66.9 (+1.4) likely cycle 24 max |
8.81 |
| 2012.05 | 121.5 | 69.0 | 61.7 (-2.9) | 7.06 |
| 2012.06 | 119.6 | 64.5 | 58.9 (-2.8) | 10.08 |
| 2012.07 | 133.9 | 66.5 | 57.8 (-1.1) | 13.90 |
| 2012.08 | 115.4 | 63.0 | 58.2 (+0.4) | 7.96 |
| 2012.09 | 122.9 | 61.4 | 58.1 (-0.1) | 8.07 |
| 2012.10 | 123.3 | 53.3 | 58.6 (+0.5) | 9.97 |
| 2012.11 | 121.3 | 61.8 | 59.7 (+1.1) | 7.08 |
| 2012.12 | 108.6 | 40.8 | 59.6 (-0.1) | 3.44 |
| 2013.01 | 127.1 | 62.9 | 58.7 (-0.9) | 4.69 |
| 2013.02 | 104.3 | 38.0 | (57.8 projected, -0.9) | 6.11 |
| 2013.03 | 111.3 | 57.9 | (57.3 projected, -0.5) | 10.56 |
| 2013.04 | 124.8 | 72.4 | (57.3 projected, 0.0) | 5.40 |
| 2013.05 | 131.4 | 78.7 | (57.3 projected, 0.0) | 9.73 |
| 2013.06 | 110.1 | 52.5 | (57.6 projected, +0.3) | 12.60 |
| 2013.07 | 115.5 | 57.0 | (57.7 projected, +0.1) | 9.47 |
| 2013.08 | 116.1 (1) | 75.3 (2A) / 101.4 (2B) / 62.6 (2C) | (57.6 projected, -0.1) | (7.98) |
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 the 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.
