Last major update issued on April 19, 2014 at 06:00 UTC.
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[Presentation
3rd
SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013 (pdf)]
The geomagnetic field was quiet to unsettled on April 19. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 382 and 540 km/s under the influence of a high speed coronal hole stream.
Solar flux at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 172.3 (increasing 17.4 over the last solar rotation). The 90 day 10.7 flux at 1 AU was 153.1. The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 7 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 7.4). Three hour interval K indices: 22122123 (planetary), 12122223 (Boulder).
The background x-ray flux is at the class B7 level.
At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 16 active regions in 2K resolution (SN: 415) and 15 active regions in 1K resolution (SN: 278) SDO images on the visible solar disk.
Region 12032 [N11W70] was quiet and stable.
Region 12033 [N11W56] was quiet and stable.
Region 12034 [N04W38] decayed slowly and was mostly quiet.
Region 12035 [S16W14] developed in the central section where a magnetic
delta formed. A major flare is possible.
Region 12036 [S17W40] gained a weak magnetic delta in the northern part
of the largest leader spot. Another major flare is possible.
Region 12037 [S09W41] decayed slowly and was quiet.
Region 12038 [S12E25] was quiet and stable.
Region 12039 [N24W29] was quiet and stable.
Region 12040 [N15W14] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 12042 [N18E40] decayed slowly and was quiet.
Spotted regions not numbered (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S3323 [S13W01] was quiet and stable.
S3330 [N12E19] decayed and was quiet.
New region S3335 [S20E67] rotated into view.
New region S3336 [S22E87] rotated partly into view and has at least C
flare potential.
New region S3337 [S09E22] emerged to the north of AR 12038. C flares are
possible.
New region S3338 [S09E14] emerged with penumbra spots.
Magnitude | Time (UTC) | Location | AR |
C1.1 | 02:41 | S16W01 | 12035 |
C1.1 | 03:06 | N03W27 | 12034 |
C1.0 | 04:06 | S15W02 | 12035 |
C1.0 | 06:00 | S16W03 | 12035 |
C1.4 | 07:17 | S23W39 | |
C1.5 | 07:34 | S16W04 | 12035 |
C4.1 | 08:09 | S17W32 | 12036 |
C1.4 | 09:57 | S25E90 | S3336 |
C1.4 | 11:55 | S17W35 | 12036 |
C1.9 | 12:35 | S16W35 | 12036 |
M8.2 | 12:58 | S18W34 | 12036 |
C1.8 | 20:02 | S15W39 | 12036 |
C1.3 | 20:38 | S15W40 | 12036 |
April 16-17: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in LASCO and
STEREO imagery.
April 18: A filament eruption began just after 09h UTC to the south of AR
12036 and extended towards another center to the south of AR S3323 and appears
to have been associated with a halo CME. The M8 flare after noon in AR 12036 was
associated with a full halo CME which could reach Earth on April 20.
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 small trans equatorial coronal hole (CH612) rotated across the central meridian on April 16.
Long distance low and medium frequency (below 2 MHz) propagation along paths north of due west over upper middle latitudes is poor. Propagation on long distance northeast-southwest paths is poor to fair.
The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to active on April 19. Quiet to minor storm is likely on April 20-21 due to CME effects.
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: 0-30% probability, Yellow: 30-70% probability, Red: 70-100% 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 | Magnetic (SDO) |
SWPC | STAR | Current | Previous | ||||||
2K | 1K | ||||||||||
12032 | 2014.04.07 2014.04.08 |
1 | 2 | 2 | N12W70 | 0110 | HAX | HSX |
area: 0200 |
||
12033 | 2014.04.09 | 2 | 3 | 2 | N12W58 | 0080 | HSX | CAO |
area: 0110 location: N11W56 |
||
12034 | 2014.04.10 | 27 | 49 | 19 | N04W39 | 0480 | EKC | EKC | area: 0570 | ||
12035 | 2014.04.10 2014.04.11 |
45 | 58 | 33 | S15W18 | 0340 | EKC | EKC |
beta-gamma-delta area: 0550 location: S16W14 |
||
12037 | 2014.04.12 2014.04.13 |
15 | 20 | 9 | S09W40 | 0100 | DAI | DAO | beta-gamma | ||
12036 | 2014.04.12 2014.04.13 |
47 | 51 | 24 | S16W41 | 0390 | DHC | EAC | beta-gamma-delta | ||
S3317 | 2014.04.13 | S09E11 | plage | ||||||||
12040 | 2014.04.13 2014.04.15 |
3 | 6 | 2 | N16W15 | 0010 | BXO | BXO | |||
12038 | 2014.04.14 2014.04.15 |
8 | 14 | 11 | S13E23 | 0090 | DAC | CAO |
|
||
S3323 | 2014.04.14 | 5 | 3 | S13W01 | 0015 | BXO | |||||
S3324 | 2014.04.14 | N14W38 | plage | ||||||||
12039 | 2014.04.15 | 3 | 9 | 4 | N23W30 | 0010 | BXO | CRO |
area: 0030 location: N24W29 |
||
12041 | 2014.04.15 2014.04.16 |
S19W57 | spotless | ||||||||
12042 | 2014.04.16 | 12 | 14 | 7 | N18E41 | 0230 | DAO | DAO | area: 0330 | ||
S3330 | 2014.04.16 | 1 | N12E19 | 0002 | AXX | ||||||
12043 | 2014.04.16 2014.04.17 |
S11W31 | plage | ||||||||
S3333 | 2014.04.17 | S07W22 | plage | ||||||||
S3334 | 2014.04.17 | S34W48 | plage | ||||||||
S3335 | 2014.04.18 | 4 | 2 | S20E67 | 0013 | CRO | |||||
S3336 | 2014.04.18 | 1 | 1 | S22E87 | 0040 | HAX | |||||
S3337 | 2014.04.18 | 16 | 8 | S09E22 | 0080 | DRI | |||||
S3338 | 2014.04.18 | 2 | 1 | S09E14 | 0007 | AXX | |||||
Total spot count: | 163 | 255 | 128 | ||||||||
Sunspot number: | 263 | 415 | 278 | (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions) | |||||||
Weighted SN: | 218 | 319 | 192 | (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): | 158 | 145 | 153 | k * (sunspot number). k = 0.6 for SWPC, k = 0.35 for MSN 2K, k = 0.55 for MSN 1K (MSN=Magnetic Sunspot Number) |
Month | Average solar flux | International sunspot number (WDC-SILSO) |
Smoothed sunspot number | Average ap (3) |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Measured | 1 AU | ||||
2013.01 | 127.1 | 123.1 | 62.9 | 58.7 (-0.9) | 4.69 |
2013.02 | 104.3 | 101.8 | 38.0 | 58.4 (-0.3) | 6.11 |
2013.03 | 111.3 | 110.2 | 57.9 | 57.5 (-0.9) | 10.56 |
2013.04 | 124.8 | 125.9 | 72.4 | 57.9 (+0.4) | 5.40 |
2013.05 | 131.4 | 134.3 | 78.7 | 59.9 (+2.0) | 9.73 |
2013.06 | 110.1 | 113.7 | 52.5 | 62.6 (+2.7) | 12.60 |
2013.07 | 115.5 | 119.3 | 57.0 | 65.5 (+2.9) | 9.47 |
2013.08 | 114.6 | 118.3 | 66.0 | 69.0 (+3.5) | 8.27 |
2013.09 | 102.6 | 103.7 | 36.9 | 73.1 (+4.1) | 5.23 |
2013.10 | 132.1 | 131.2 | 85.6 | (74.9 projected, +1.8) | 7.71 |
2013.11 | 148.3 | 145.1 | 77.6 | (74.9 projected, -0.0) | 5.68 |
2013.12 | 147.7 | 143.1 | 90.3 | (74.4 projected, -0.5) | 4.68 |
2014.01 | 157.4 | 152.4 | 82.0 | (74.3 projected, -0.1) | 5.44 |
2014.02 | 170.3 (cycle peak) |
166.3 | 102.8 (cycle peak) | (73.7 projected, -0.6) | 10.70 |
2014.03 | 149.9 | 148.5 | 92.2 | (73.8 projected, +0.1) | 4.88 |
2014.04 | 149.3 (1) | 83.6 (2A) / 139.3 (2B) / 109.1 (2C) | (73.0 projected, -0.8) | (7.0) |
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 WDC-SILSO 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
GFZ 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.