Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on July 25, 2013 at 04:50 UTC.

[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and electron fluence charts (updated daily)]
[Solar cycles 23-24 (last update July 1, 2013)] [Cycle 24 progress (last update July 1, 2013) ]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last update July 1, 2013)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 24 (last update July 1, 2013)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (last update April 5, 2007)]
[Archived reports since January 2003 (last update July 1, 2013)]

[POES auroral activity level since October 2009 - updated January 26, 2013]
[Solar polar fields vs solar cycles - updated June 30, 2013]
[Presentation 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013 (pdf)]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet on July 24. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 299 and 354 km/s.

Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 107.6 (increasing 7.7 over the last solar rotation). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 4 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 3.5). Three hour interval K indices: 21101111 (planetary), 20112322 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux was at the class B2 level.

At midnight UTC the visible solar disk had 10 spotted active regions (in 2K resolution SDO images).

Region 11793 [N21W55] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 11799 [S18W17] was quiet and stable.
Region 11800 [S07W17] lost a few spots. There is polarity intermixing and further C class flaring is possible.
Region 11801 [N20E57] was quiet and stable.
Region 11802 [N14W60] was quiet and stable.
Region 11803 [S09W03] decayed slowly and quietly.
New region 11804 [S19W71] was first observed on July 15, then became spotless. Spots reemerged on July 23 and the region developed furth on July 24 when it was numbered by SWPC.

Spotted regions not numbered by SWPC:
S2566 [S15E10] was quiet and stable.
S2567 [N23E23] lost the leader spots and gained a trailing spot.
New region S2568 [S06E13] emerged with several spots.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

July 22-24: 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

A recurrent trans equatorial coronal hole (CH576) was in an Earth facing position on July 22-23.

Coronal hole map

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

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to active on July 25-26 due to effects from CH576 and quiet on July 27.

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 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
11797 2013.07.13
2013.07.17
      S19W82           plage
11795 2013.07.13
2013.07.14
      S06W84           location: S04W70
11793 2013.07.13
2013.07.14
2 4 3 N19W52 0100 ESO ESO

location: N21W55

11804 2013.07.15
2013.07.24
4 6 3 S21W71 0010 BXO CRO area: 0045

location: S19W71

11798 2013.07.17
2013.07.18
      S12W42           plage
11799 2013.07.17
2013.07.18
  1   S16W18 0003   AXX  
11800 2013.07.17
2013.07.18
18 25 11 S07W17 0120 DSO DAI beta-gamma
11803 2013.07.18
2013.07.23
  4   S09W03 0006   BXO  
S2560 2013.07.19       N18W28           plage
11801 2013.07.22
2013.07.23
1 1 1 N21E57 0090 HSX HSX area: 0120
11802 2013.07.22
2013.07.23
  3 1 N14W60 0013   BXO  
S2565 2013.07.23       S12E64         plage
S2566 2013.07.23   4   S15E10 0010   BXO  
S2567 2013.07.23   1   N23E23 0002   AXX  
S2568 2013.07.24   8 4 S06E13 0025   BXO    
Total spot count: 25 57 23  
Sunspot number: 65 157 83  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 40 75 41  (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): 39 55 46 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)
2011.11 153.5 (cycle peak) 96.7 (cycle peak) 61.1 (+1.2) 5.55
2012.02 106.5 32.9 66.9 (+1.4)
possible cycle 24 max
8.81
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 58.9 (-2.8) 10.08
2012.07 133.9 66.5 57.7 (-1.2) 13.90
2012.08 115.4 63.0 58.1 (+0.4) 7.96
2012.09 122.9 61.4 58.1 (-0.0) 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 projected, -0.9) 4.69
2013.02 104.3 38.0 (58.3 projected, -0.4) 6.11
2013.03 111.3 57.9 (57.9 projected, -0.4) 10.56
2013.04 124.8 72.4 (57.5 projected, -0.4) 5.40
2013.05 131.4 78.7 (57.6 projected, +0.1) 9.73
2013.06 110.1 52.5 (57.9 projected, +0.3) 12.60
2013.07 117.2 (1) 68.2 (2A) / 88.1 (2B) / 54.3 (2C) (58.0 projected, +0.1) (9.95)

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.