Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on June 2, 2014 at 04:30 UTC.

[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
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[Solar cycles 23-24 (last update June 1, 2014)] [Cycle 24 progress (last update June 1, 2014) ]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last update June 1, 2014)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 24 (last update June 1, 2014)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (last update April 5, 2007)]
[Archived reports since January 2003 (last update May 1, 2014)]

[POES auroral activity level October 2009 - December 2012]
[Solar polar fields vs solar cycles - updated April 17, 2014]
[Presentations: 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013 (pdf) / 4th SSN Workshop, Locarno, 2014]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet on June 1. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 287 and 321 km/s.

Solar flux at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 103.3 (decreasing 35.7 over the last solar rotation). The 90 day 10.7 flux at 1 AU was 141.0. The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 5 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 4.9). Three hour interval K indices: 11121111 (planetary), 11221211 (Boulder).

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

At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 8 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 120) and 8 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 108) SDO images on the visible solar disk.

Region 12075 [S09W38] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 12077 [S03E47] developed slowly producing a single low level C flare. There is a weak magnetic delta structure in the trailing spot section. A minor M class flare is possible.
New region 12078 [S18E16] emerged on May 30 and was numbered by SWPC 2 days later.
New region 12079 [N12E67] rotated into view on May 31 and was numbered by SWPC the next day. The region produced the largest flare of the day, a C2.4 event at 01:37 UTC.

Spotted regions not numbered (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S3483 [S11W08] was quiet and stable.
S3492 [N12E43] was quiet and stable.
New region S3494 [N03E75] rotated into view.
New region S3495 [S10E25] emerged with a few spots.

C2+ Flares (SDO/EVE):

Magnitude Time (UTC) Location AR
       

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

May 30 - June 1: 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 coronal hole (CH620) in the southern hemisphere was in an Earth facing position on May 31 - June 1.

Coronal hole map

Propagation

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.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be mostly quiet on June 2-4. On June 3-4 there is a chance of unsettled intervals due to effects from CH620.

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.

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 Magnetic
(SDO)
SWPC STAR Current Previous
2K 1K
12073 2014.05.20
2014.05.21
1     S12W80 0000 AXX    

spotless

12075 2014.05.23 3 4 2 S09W41 0010 AXX CRO

location: S09W38

area: 0020

S3467 2014.05.24       S20W57           plage
12076 2014.05.27
2014.05.28
      S20W73         plage
S3474 2014.05.27       N08W39           plage
S3477 2014.05.28       N16W31         plage
S3481 2014.05.29       N07W54           plage
S3483 2014.05.29   2 1 S11W08 0005   AXX  
S3484 2014.05.29       S13E03           plage
12077 2014.05.30 8 17 11 S06E45 0110 DAI DSC beta-gamma-delta

location: S03E47

area: 0200

12078 2014.05.30
2014.06.01
5 9 8 S19E15 0020 CRO DRO area: 0040
12079 2014.05.31
2014.06.01
1 3 2 N12E63 0120 HSX HSX area: 0200
S3492 2014.05.31   2 1 N12E43 0004   AXX  
S3494 2014.06.01   1 1 N12E43 0004   AXX    
S3495 2014.06.01   2 2 S10E25 0012   CRO    
Total spot count: 18 40 28  
Sunspot number: 68 120 108  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 31 59 47  (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): 41 42 59 k * (sunspot number). k = 0.6 for SWPC, k = 0.35 for MSN 2K, k = 0.55 for MSN 1K (MSN=Magnetic Sunspot Number)

Monthly solar cycle data

Month Average solar flux International sunspot number
(WDC-SILSO)
Smoothed sunspot number Average ap
(3)
Measured 1 AU
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 75.0 (+1.9) 7.71
2013.11  148.3 145.1 77.6 75.4 (+0.4) 5.68
2013.12 147.7 143.1 90.3 (75.8 projected, +0.4) 4.68
2014.01 157.4 152.4 82.0 (76.4 projected, +0.6) 5.44
2014.02 170.3
(cycle peak)
166.3 102.8 (cycle peak) (76.2 projected, -0.2) 10.70
2014.03 149.9 148.5 92.2 (76.6 projected, +0.4) 4.88
2014.04 143.9 144.8 84.7 (75.8 projected, -0.8) 7.88
2014.05 129.7 132.9 75.2 (73.2 projected, -2.6) 5.7
2014.06 104.3 (1)    4.1 (2A) / 62 (2B) / 90.6 (2C) (70.5 projected, -2.7) (4.6)

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.