Last major update issued on February 6, 2014 at 05:30 UTC.
[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated
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[Solar wind and
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[Solar cycles 23-24 (last update February 1, 2014)] [Cycle
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[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last
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[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006
(last update April 5, 2007)]
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2009 - updated January 26, 2013]
[Solar polar fields vs solar cycles - updated
February 1, 2014]
[Presentation
3rd
SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013 (pdf)]
The geomagnetic field was very quiet on February 5. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 316 and 400 km/s.
Solar flux at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 193.5 (increasing 9.4 over the last solar rotation). The 90 day 10.7 flux at 1 AU was 149.0. The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 3 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 3.0). Three hour interval K indices: 11101011 (planetary), 11103322 (Boulder).
The background x-ray flux is at the class C1 level.
At the time of counting spots (see image time) spots were observed in 14 active regions in 2K resolution (SN: 385) and 13 active regions in 1K resolution (SN: 263) SDO images on the visible solar disk.
Region 11967 [S12W34] decayed losing penumbral area
and spots. The largest penumbral structure has a strong magnetic delta structure
which has the potential to produce a major flare.
C5+ flares: C5.2 at 12:50, M1.3 at 16:02, C8.6 at
18:44 UTC.
Region 11968 [N11W33] gained penumbral
area. The region is slowly becoming more complex and has a small magnetic delta
structure in the northern central section. An M class flare is possible.
Region 11970 [S17E13] was quiet and stable.
Region 11971 [S12E40] developed with many new spots forming.
New region 11972 [S13W10] emerged on February 2 and was numbered by SWPC
3 days later. The region decayed during the latter half of the day.
New region 11973 [N07E66] rotated into view on February 4 and was
numbered the next day by SWPC.
New region 11974 [S11E77] rotated fully into view.
Spotted regions not numbered (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S3079 [S09W23] was quiet and stable.
S3084 [S17E05] lost the spot from the previous day and gained several
penumbra spots.
S3088 [S12W16] reemerged with a few penumbra spots.
S3090 [N12E17] was quiet and stable.
S3091 [N04W37] decayed slowly and quietly.
S3092 [S08E42] was quiet and stable.
New region S3096 [N15E66] emerged with a penumbra spot.
February 3-5: 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 recurrent trans equatorial coronal hole (CH602) will rotate into an Earth facing position on February 5-6.
Long distance low and medium frequency (below 2 MHz) propagation along paths north of due west over upper middle latitudes is fair. Propagation on long distance northeast-southwest paths is poor.
The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to unsettled on February 6-7. On February 8-9 quiet to active conditions are possible due to effects from CH602.
| 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 | ||||||||||
| 11967 | 2014.01.26 2014.01.27 |
82 | 68 | 38 | S12W38 | 1500 | FKC | FKC |
 |
 |
beta-gamma-delta area: 1410 location: S12W34
|
| 11968 | 2014.01.27 | 49 | 87 | 44 | N09W36 | 0430 | EKC | EKC |
 |
 |
beta-gamma-delta area: 0990 location: N11W33 |
| 11969 | 2014.01.28 2014.02.01 |
2 | S10W87 | 0010 | BXO |
 |
rotated out of view | ||||
| S3073 | 2014.01.28 | N18W37 |
 |
plage | |||||||
| S3075 | 2014.01.29 | S12W09 | plage | ||||||||
| S3077 | 2014.01.30 | N13W58 | plage | ||||||||
| S3079 | 2014.01.31 | 14 | 6 | S09W23 | 0035 | BXO |
 |
 |
|||
| 11970 | 2014.02.01 2014.02.02 |
6 | 8 | 6 | S18E12 | 0020 | CRO | DRO |
 |
 |
|
| S3082 | 2014.02.01 | N07E23 | plage | ||||||||
| S3084 | 2014.02.02 | 4 | 2 | S17E05 | 0012 | BXO |
 |
 |
|||
| 11972 | 2014.02.02 2014.02.05 |
1 | 3 | 2 | S13W10 | 0007 | AXX | BXO |
 |
 |
|
| S3086 | 2014.02.02 | N09W24 | plage | ||||||||
| S3087 | 2014.02.02 | S28W31 | plage | ||||||||
| S3088 | 2014.02.03 | 5 | 2 | S12W16 | 0015 | BXO |
 |
||||
| 11971 | 2014.02.03 2014.02.04 |
11 | 28 | 13 | S12E43 | 0050 | CSO | DAO |
 |
 |
area: 0110 |
| S3090 | 2014.02.03 | 3 | 3 | N12E17 | 0013 | AXX |
 |
 |
|||
| S3091 | 2014.02.04 | 3 | 1 | N04W37 | 0009 | BXO |
 |
 |
|||
| S3092 | 2014.02.04 | 4 | 3 | S08E42 | 0015 | BXO |
 |
 |
|||
| 11973 | 2014.02.04 2014.02.05 |
2 | 7 | 6 | N06E63 | 0030 | CRO | CAO |
 |
 |
location: N07E66 area: 0050 |
| 11974 | 2014.02.04 2014.02.05 |
1 | 10 | 7 | S11E76 | 0040 | HSX | DSO |
 |
 |
area: 0220 |
| S3096 | 2014.02.05 | 1 | N15E66 | 0001 | AXX |
 |
|||||
| Total spot count: | 154 | 245 | 133 | ||||||||
| Sunspot number: | 234 | 385 | 263 | (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions) | |||||||
| Weighted SN: | 190 | 283 | 171 | (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): | 140 | 135 | 145 | k * (sunspot number). k = 0.6 for SWPC, k = 0.35 for STAR SDO 2K, k = 0.55 for STAR SDO 1K | |||||||
| Month | Average solar flux | International sunspot number (WDC-SILSO) |
Smoothed sunspot number | Average ap (3) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Measured | 1 AU | ||||
| 2011.11 | 153.5 | 96.7 (cycle peak) | 61.1 (+1.2) | 5.55 | |
| 2012.02 | 106.5 | 32.9 | 66.9 (+1.4) | 8.81 | |
| 2012.11 | 121.3 | 118.3 | 61.8 | 59.7 (+1.1) | 7.08 |
| 2012.12 | 108.6 | 105.0 | 40.8 | 59.6 (-0.1) | 3.44 |
| 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 | (67.8 projected, +2.3) | 8.27 |
| 2013.09 | 102.6 | 103.7 | 36.9 | (69.6 projected, +1.8) | 5.23 |
| 2013.10 | 132.1 | 131.2 | 85.6 | (69.3 projected, -0.3) | 7.71 |
| 2013.11 | 148.3 | 145.1 | 77.6 | (67.5 projected, -1.8) | 5.68 |
| 2013.12 | 147.7 | 143.1 | 90.3 | (66.7 projected, -0.8) | 4.68 |
| 2014.01 | 157.4 (cycle peak) |
152.4 | 82.0 | (66.9 projected, +0.2) | 5.4 |
| 2014.02 | 187.3 (1) | 32.0 (2A) / 179.0 (2B) / 103.6 (2C) | (65.9 projected, -1.0) | (4.0) | |
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 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.
