Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on September 18, 2014 at 03:55 UTC.

[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and electron fluence charts (updated daily)]
[Solar cycles 23-24 (last update September 1, 2014)] [Cycle 24 progress (last update September 1, 2014) ]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last update September 1, 2014)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 24 (last update September 1, 2014)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (last update April 5, 2007)]
[Archived reports since January 2003 (last update September 6, 2014)]

[New: Noon SDO count 1K 4K (very large file)]

[POES auroral activity level October 2009 - December 2012]
[Solar polar fields vs solar cycles - updated September 6, 2014]
[Presentations: 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013 (pdf) / 4th SSN Workshop, Locarno, 2014]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet on September 17. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 346 and 395 km/s.

Solar flux at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 125 (decreasing 3.3 over the last solar rotation). The 90 day 10.7 flux at 1 AU was 134.0. The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 4 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 4.0). Three hour interval K indices: 20001222 (planetary), 21012322 (Boulder).

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

At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 9 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 163) and 8 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 115) SDO images on the visible solar disk.

Region 12164 [S13W50] developed a magnetic delta structure in the largest penumbra. C and minor M class flares are possible.
Region 12165 [S09W14] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 12166 [N12E03] decayed slowly and was quiet.
New region 12168 [S21E45] emerged on September 16 and was numbered by SWPC the next day.
New region 12169 [N05E69] rotated into view on September 16 with SWPC numbering the region the following day.
New region 12170 [N10E67] rotated into view on September 16 and received its NOAA number the next day.

Spotted regions not numbered (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S3821 [S08E25] was quiet and stable.
S3824 [S09W30] decayed slowly and quietly.
New region S3829 [N15W11] emerged with a penumbra spot.

C2+ flares (GOES):

Magnitude Peak time (UTC) Location AR Comment
C2.6 03:34 S15W40 12164  
C7.5 (LDE) 19:48   12158  
C3.5 21:39   12164  

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

September 15-17: 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]

An extension of a large southern hemisphere coronal hole was in an Earth facing position on September 15.

Propagation

Long distance low and medium frequency (below 2 MHz) propagation along paths north of due west over upper middle latitudes is poor to fair. Propagation on long distance northeast-southwest paths is poor.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet on September 18-20.

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
12158 2014.09.04 2     N15W93 0090 CAO     rotated out of view
12163 2014.09.06
2014.09.07
      S15W72         plage
12164 2014.09.09
2014.09.11
6 12 8 S13W53 0070 DAC EAC beta-gamma-delta

location: S13W50

12165 2014.09.10
2014.09.11
2 4 1 S08W16 0010 BXO BXO  
S3816 2014.09.11       S08W41           plage
S3817 2014.09.11       N09W41           plage
12166 2014.09.12 7 32 11 N12W00 0030 CAO CRI  
12167 2014.09.13
2014.09.14
      N08E11         plage
S3821 2014.09.14   3 1 S08E25 0006   BXO  
S3822 2014.09.14       N16W28           plage
S3823 2014.09.15       S07E29           plage
S3824 2014.09.15   6 4 S09W30 0014   BXO  
S3825 2014.09.15       N15W52          
12169 2014.09.16
2014.09.17
1 4 2 N05E66 0060 CSO CAO area: 0110

location: N05E69

12170 2014.09.16
2014.09.17
2 2 1 N07E64 0060 HSX HSX area: 0100

location: N10E67

12168 2014.09.16
2014.09.17
1 9 7 S22E44 0010 BXO CRO area: 0035
S3829 2014.09.17   1   N15W11 0003   AXX    
Total spot count: 21 73 35  
Sunspot number: 91 163 115  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 46 94 56  (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): 55 57 63 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
2013.05 131.4 134.3 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 76.0 (+0.6) 4.68
2014.01 157.4 152.4 81.8 77.3 (+1.3) 5.44
2014.02 170.3
(cycle peak)
166.3 102.3 (cycle peak) 78.4 (+1.1) 10.70
2014.03 149.9 148.5 91.9 (80.3 projected, +1.9) 4.88
2014.04 143.9 144.8 84.7 (81.0 projected, +0.7) 7.88
2014.05 129.7 132.9 75.2 (79.2 projected, -1.8) 5.75
2014.06 122.0 125.8 71.0 (76.6 projected, -2.6) 6.72
2014.07 137.4 141.8 72.5 (73.6 projected, -3.0) 4.50
2014.08 124.7 127.9 74.7 (70.1 projected, -3.5) 7.71
2014.09 144.5 (1)   76.9 (2A) / 135.6 (2B) / 85.7 (2C) (65.9 projected, -4.2) (8.2)

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.