Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on August 20, 2022 at 09:35 UT.

Charts (* = updated daily) Data and archive
  Solar wind (*) Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (*)
  Electron fluence (*) Archived daily reports and monthly data since 2003.01 (August 7, 2022)
Solar cycle Solar cycles 23-25 (August 1, 2022) Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (April 5, 2007)
  Cycle 24-25 progress (August 1, 2022) Noon SDO sunspot count 1K image / 4K (*)
  Solar cycles 1-24 (July 1, 2020) POES auroral activity level [October 2009 - December 2012]
  Comparison of cycles 21-25 (August 1, 2022) 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013
  Comparison of cycles 12-14, 16, 24-25 (August 1, 2022) 4th SSN Workshop, Locarno, 2014
  Solar polar fields vs. solar cycles (April 10, 2022) Cycle 25 spots (final update December 25, 2019)
  Solar cycles 24-25 transition using 365d smoothing Research: Solar Cycle 25 Started on November 17, 2019 with 365 Days Smoothing

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet to minor storm on August 19 under the influence of a high speed stream from CH1094. A solar wind shock was observed at 17:10 UT at SOHO, likely the arrival of the August 16 CME. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 513 and 706 km/sec. The high latitude magnetometer at Andenes recorded quiet to major storm levels.

Solar flux density measured at 20h UT on 2.8 GHz was 105.4 - decreasing 5.1 over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 108.91). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 20 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 20.1). Three hour interval K indices: 33222454 (planetary), 44222344 (Boulder), 45233365 (Andenes).

The background x-ray flux is at the class B3 level (GOES 16).

At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 10 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 178) and in 7 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 108) SDO/HMI images.

Region 13078 [S23W59] decayed quickly leaving no penumbra on negative polarity spots and only rudimentary penumbra on positive polarity spots. The region has been mostly quiet since late on August 19. C1 flares: C1.0 @ 03:22, C1.8 @ 11:49, C1.2 @ 15:22, C1.6/1N @ 20:16 UT
Region 13081 [N10W39] decayed slowly with the main umbra fragmenting into smaller umbrae. C1 flare: C1.9 @ 09:01, C1.4 @ 22:40 UT
Region 13082 [N27E10] was quiet and stable.
Region 13083 [S25W67] decayed slowly with only tiny spots remaining late in the day.
Region 13084 [S09E06] decayed slowly and quietly.

Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S7786 [S19E33] was quiet and stable.
S7790 [N12E05] developed slowly and quietly.
New region S7794 [S19E06] emerged with many tiny spots.
New region S7795 [N18W09] emerged with tiny spots.
New region S7796 [N14E16] emerged with a tiny spot.

C2+ flares:

Magnitude Peak time (UT) Location Source Recorded by Comment
C3.3/1F 02:09 S24W44 13078 GOES16  
M1.6 04:44 S28W49 13078 GOES16 LDE, CME, moderate type II and weak type IV radio sweeps
M1.1 05:11 S24W52 13078 GOES16  
C3.2 06:10 S26W48 13078 GOES16  
C4.5/1N 08:10 S24W48 13078 GOES16  
C3.0/1F 10:27 S25W49 13078 GOES16  
C4.0 11:17   13078 GOES16  
C6.7/1N 20:31 S26W55 13078 GOES16 weak type II radio sweep

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

August 16: No well defined CME was observed after the M5 major flare in AR 13078, however, there is chance CME effects will reach Earth on August 18 or 19.
August 17: A faint full halo CME was observed after the M1.0 long duration event in AR 13078 peaking at 14:52 UT. The CME could reach Earth on August 20.
August 18: A faint full halo CME was observed after an M1.5 flare in AR 13078 peaking at 10:55 UT. The CME could reach Earth on August 21.
August 19: A partial halo CME was observed after the M1.6 flare in AR 13078 at 04:44 UT. There is a chance effects from this CME could reach Earth on August 22.

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 (CH1094) rotated across the central meridian on August 14-17. A small southern hemisphere coronal hole (CH1095) was Earth facing on August 19.

Propagation

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

Forecast

Quiet to active conditions are expected for August 20-22 due to effects from CH1094 and the August 17-19 CMEs. Minor and major storm intervals are possible. Quiet to unsettled conditions are possible on August 22-23 due to effects from CH1095.

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). 4K 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 officially numbered solar regions according to the Solar Region Summary provided by NOAA/SWPC, all other regions are numbered sequentially as they emerge using the STAR spot number. 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. SWPC data considered to be not sufficiently precise (location, area, classification) are colored red.

Active region SWPC date numbered
STAR detected
Spot count Location at midnight Area Classification SDO / HMI 4K continuum
image with magnetic polarity overlays
Comment
SWPC/
USAF
Magnetic
(SDO)
SWPC STAR Current Previous
2K 1K
13078 2022.08.09
2022.08.10
14 17 11 S24W62 0210 DAC DRI location: S23W59

area: 0070

S7766 2022.08.10       S11W42          
13081 2022.08.11
2022.08.13
4 14 8 N16W38 0110 CAO CAO location: N10W39
13084 2022.08.14 2 8 4 S11E01 0020 BXO DRO location: S09E06
S7779 2022.08.14       N11W52            
13083 2022.08.15
2022.08.16
2 2   S24W70 0010 BXO AXX location: S25W67

area: 0003

13082 2022.08.15
2022.08.16
2 14 6 N23E15 0040 CAO DRO location: N27E10
S7785 2022.08.15       N16W14            
S7786 2022.08.16   3 2 S19E33 0010   HRX  
S7787 2022.08.16       N36W26          
S7788 2022.08.16       S16E34            
S7789 2022.08.16       N13W51            
S7790 2022.08.17   3 3 N12E05 0015   HRX  
S7791 2022.08.18       N22W32            
S7792 2022.08.18       N30E40          
S7793 2022.08.19       S20W44          
S7794 2022.08.19   14 4 S19E06 0020   BXI    
S7795 2022.08.19   2   N18W09 0003   AXX    
S7796 2022.08.19   1   N14E16 0001   AXX    
Total spot count: 24 78 38  
Sunspot number: 74 178 108  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 39 98 58  (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): 81 98 86  

Monthly solar cycle data

Month Average solar flux International sunspot number
(WDC-SILSO)
Smoothed sunspot number (4) Average ap
(3)
Measured 1 AU
2014.02 170.3
(cycle peak)
166.3 146.1 (SC24 peak) 110.5 10.70
2014.04 143.9 144.8 112.5 116.4 (solar max) 7.88
2017.09 91.3 92.3 43.6 18.2 (-1.3) 18.22
(cycle peak)
2019.11 70.2 68.7 0.5 2.0 (-0.6)
(Solar minimum using 365d smoothing:
November 17, 2019)
4.19
2019.12 70.8 68.6 1.6 1.8 (-0.2)
(ISN 13 months smoothed
solar minimum)
3.22
2021.01 76.0 73.6 10.4 17.3 (+2.0) 4.39
2021.02 74.3 72.4 8.2 19.0 (+1.7) 9.50
2021.03 76.0 75.2 17.2 21.7 (+2.7) 10.17
2021.04 75.9 76.4 24.5 24.8 (+3.1) 8.40
2021.05 75.3 77.1 21.2 25.8 (+1.0) 6.50
2021.06 79.4 81.8 25.0 27.6 (+1.8) 5.52
2021.07 81.0 83.6 34.3 31.4 (+3.8) 5.51
2021.08 77.7 79.7 22.0 35.4 (+4.0) 6.19
2021.09 87.0 88.2 51.3 40.2 (+4.8) 6.33
2021.10 88.9 88.3 37.4 45.2 (+5.0) 7.38
2021.11 86.2 84.4 34.8 50.8 (+5.6) 9.83
2021.12 103.0 99.8 67.5 55.9 (+5.1) 6.40
2022.01 103.8 100.5 55.3 60.1 (+4.2) 8.92
2022.02 109.1 106.5 60.9 (65.8 projected, +5.7) 10.46
2022.03 117.0 115.8 78.6 (70.8 projected, +5.0) 10.20
2022.04 130.8 131.7 84.1 (75.9 projected, +5.1) 11.79
2022.05 133.8 136.8 96.5 (82.4 projected, +6.5) 7.48
2022.06 116.1 119.8 70.5 (88.3 projected, +5.9) 8.20
2022.07 125.4 129.5 91.4 (95.5 projected, +7.2) 9.51
2022.08 113.9 (1)   44.4 (2A) / 72.4 (2B) / 91.8 (2C) (102.0 projected, +6.5) (12.6)
2022.09       (106.9 projected, +4.9)  
2022.10       (110.1 projected, +3.2)  
2022.11       (112.9 projected, +2.8)  
2022.12       (117.7 projected, +4.8)  
2023.01       (123.7 projected, +6.0)  
2023.11       (142.5 projected max SC25)  

1) Running average based on the daily 20:00 UTC observed solar flux value at 2800 MHz and any corrections applied to that measurement.
2A) Current impact on the monthly sunspot number based on the Boulder (NOAA/SWPC) sunspot number (accumulated daily sunspots / month days).
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.
4) Source: SIDC-SILSO.

Solar cycles 24-25

Smoothed SF and sunspot numbers

 

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 Universal Time. Comments and suggestions are always welcome.

SDO images are courtesy of NASA/SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams.