Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on May 6, 2013 at 04:40 UTC.

[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and electron fluence charts (updated daily)]
[Solar cycles 23-24 (last update May 1, 2013)] [Cycle 24 progress (last update April 7, 2013) ]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last update May 1, 2013)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 24 (last update May 1, 2013)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (last update April 5, 2007)]
[Archived reports since January 2003 (last update May 6, 2013)]

[POES auroral activity level since October 2009 - updated January 26, 2013]
[Solar polar fields vs solar cycles - updated March 24, 2013]
[Presentation 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013 (pdf)]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet to unsettled on May 5. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 321 and 458 km/s. Wind speed increased after noon, likely due to a high speed stream from CH568. The interplanetary magnetic field was northwards after 18h UTC.

Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 137.1 (decreasing 2.1 over the last solar rotation). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 7 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 6.9). Three hour interval K indices: 22212321 (planetary), 22212421 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux was at the class B6 level.

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

Region 11731 [N09W77] decayed retaining only a few spots with rudimentary penumbra.
Region 11732 [S18W33] was quiet and stable.
Region 11734 [S18W09] was quiet. Interestingly a thin, elongated negative polarity patch emerged within the northwest sector of the major penumbral structure containing a tiny spot. C and M flares are possible.
Region 11737 [N22E13] was quiet and stable.
Region 11738 [N17E37] developed penumbra on a trailing spot while slow decay was observed in the leading spot section.
Region 11739 [N12E43] has 2 small magnetic delta structures. Further C and M flares are possible. C5+ flares: C8.0 at 00:49, C8.4 at 06:44,  M1.4 at 17:56, C8.3/1N at 20:02 UTC.
Region 11740 [S20E53] was quiet and stable.

Spotted regions not numbered by SWPC:
S2392 [N23W13] was quiet and stable.
New region S2398 [S19E75] rotated into view.
New region S2399 [N13W29] emerged with a penumbra spot.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

May 3-5: 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 (CH568) was Earth facing on May 2-3.

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.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet with a chance of unsettled intervals on May 6 due to effects from CH568. Quiet conditions are likely on May 7-8.

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 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
11731 2013.04.24
2013.04.25
8 6 3 N09W71 0140 EAI DRO beta-gamma

area: 0040

location: N09W77

 

11732 2013.04.26
2013.04.27
4 12 7 S17W35 0090 DSO CSO

area: 0190

11734 2013.04.28
2013.04.29
19 43 19 S18W09 0380 EKI DKI

beta-gamma

area: 0750

S2386 2013.04.29       N25W56           plage
S2387 2013.04.29       N17W43           plage
11736 2013.04.30
2013.05.01
      S07W23           plage
S2389 2013.04.30       S22W17           plage
S2390 2013.04.30       S34W15           plage
11737 2013.04.30
2013.05.03
  6 2 N16E07 0012   BXO location: N22E13
S2392 2013.04.30   4 1 N23W13 0008   BXO  
S2394 2013.05.02       N15W38           plage
11738 2013.05.03 3 10 4 N15E34 0030 CAO CSO area: 0090
11739 2013.05.03 8 25 13 N12E43 0140 DAC EAC beta-gamma-delta
11740 2013.05.03 1 4 1 S21E50 0020 HRX HRX  
S2396 2013.05.03       N43W48           plage
S2397 2013.05.04       N11E27         plage
S2398 2013.05.05   1 1 S19E75 0010   AXX    
S2399 2013.05.05   1 1 N13W29 0003   AXX    
Total spot count: 43 112 52  
Sunspot number: 103 212 152  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 76 143 83  (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): 62 74 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 max) 96.7 (cycle max) 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 (59.1 projected, +0.5) 7.08
2012.12 108.6 40.8 (58.4 projected, -0.7) 3.44
2013.01 127.1 62.9 (58.0 projected, -0.4) 4.69
2013.02 104.3 38.0 (58.2 projected, +0.5) 6.11
2013.03 111.3 57.9 (57.8 projected, -0.4) 10.56
2013.04 124.8 72.4 (57.4 projected, -0.4) 5.45
2013.05 147.0 (1) 21.4 (2A) / 132.4 (2B) / 72.1 (2C) (57.5 projected, +0.1) (10.83)

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.