Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on June 21, 2013 at 05:25 UTC.

[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and electron fluence charts (updated daily)]
[Solar cycles 23-24 (last update June 1, 2013)] [Cycle 24 progress (last update June 1, 2013) ]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last update June 1, 2013)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 24 (last update June 1, 2013)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (last update April 5, 2007)]
[Archived reports since January 2003 (last update June 6, 2013)]

[POES auroral activity level since October 2009 - updated January 26, 2013]
[Solar polar fields vs solar cycles - updated May 12, 2013]
[Presentation 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013 (pdf)]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet to active on June 20. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 275 and 528 km/s, increasingly under the influence of a high speed stream from CH573.

Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 126.3 (decreasing 1.0 over the last solar rotation). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 10 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 10.5). Three hour interval K indices: 32122243 (planetary), 22232233 (Boulder).

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

At midnight UTC the visible solar disk had 14 spotted active regions (in 2K resolution SDO images).

Region 11770 [S14W22] was quiet and stable.
Region 11772 [S21W23] was mostly quiet and stable.
Region 11773 [N03W06] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 11774 [S17W10] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 11775 [S26E08] has a magnetic delta structure in the western part of the main penumbral structure. The region was mostly quiet. M flares are possible.
Region 11776 [N11W09] developed further and has polarity intermixing. C and M class flasres are possible.
New region 11777 [S15E70] rotated into view on June 19 and was mostly quiet. The region was the source of an M2.9 flare early on June 21.

Spotted regions not numbered by SWPC:
S2482 [S17E12] reemerged with several penumbra spots.
S2485 [S24W12] decayed slowly and quietly.
S2490 [S15E52] was quiet and stable.
New region S2492 [N14E31] emerged with a penumbra spot.
New region S2493 [N20W01] emerged with several spots.
New region S2494 [S09W49] emerged with penumbra spots.
New region S2495 [S14W36] emerged with a penumbra spot.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

June 18-20: 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 northern hemisphere coronal hole (CH573) was in a geoeffective position on June 17-21. A recurrent trans equatorial coronal hole (CH574] will likely rotate into an Earth facing position on June 25.

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

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to active on June 21-24 due to effects from CH573.

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
11770 2013.06.12
2013.06.13
1 3 2 S14W23 0040 HSX HAX area: 0100
11769 2013.06.12
2013.06.13
      S22W31           merged with AR 11772
11772 2013.06.13
2013.06.14
17 29 19 S20W25 0070 DAI DAI area: 0150

location: S21W23

11771 2013.06.13
2013.06.14
      S15W14           plage
11773 2013.06.14
2013.06.15
12 21 6 N03W04 0080 CAO CAO  
11774 2013.06.14
2013.06.15
4 7 2 S16W10 0030 CSO HSX area: 0060
11775 2013.06.14
2013.06.15
11 22 6 S26E08 0300 DKC DKC beta-gamma-delta

area: 0460

S2482 2013.06.15   11   S17E12 0015   BXO    
S2485 2013.06.17   1   S24W12 0003   AXX  
S2486 2013.06.17       N13W52           plage
11776 2013.06.18 12 33 13 N10W24 0070 DAI DAC beta-gamma

area: 0230

S2487 2013.06.18       S28W20           plage
S2490 2013.06.19   3 1 S15E52 0010   BXO  
11777 2013.06.19
2013.06.20
1 2 2 S16E66 0070 HSX CSO area: 0210

location: S15E70

S2492 2013.06.20   1   N14E31 0002   AXX    
S2493 2013.06.20   4 1 N20W01 0012   CRO    
S2494 2013.06.20   2 1 S09W49 0006   BXO    
S2495 2013.06.20   1   S14W36 0002   AXX    
Total spot count: 58 140 53  
Sunspot number: 128 280 153  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 98 183 96  (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): 77 98 84 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
2012.03 114.7 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 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 (59.5 projected, -0.2) 3.44
2013.01 127.1 62.9 (59.1 projected, -0.4) 4.69
2013.02 104.3 38.0 (59.3 projected, +0.2) 6.11
2013.03 111.3 57.9 (58.9 projected, -0.4) 10.56
2013.04 124.8 72.4 (58.6 projected, -0.3) 5.40
2013.05 131.4 78.7 (58.7 projected, +0.1) 9.73
2013.06 108.7 (1) 48.3 (2A) / 72.5 (2B) / 50.4 (2C) (59.0 projected, +0.3) (10.72)

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.