The geomagnetic field was unsettled to minor storm on December 24 under the influence of effects related to CH1121. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 492 and 703 km/sec. The high latitude magnetometer at Andenes recorded unsettled to major storm levels.
Solar flux density measured at 20h UT on 2.8 GHz was 133.3 - increasing 26.1 over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 123.61). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 23 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 23.3). Three hour interval K indices: 35443433 (planetary), 34543432 (Boulder), 46433545 (Andenes).
The background x-ray flux is at the class C1 level (GOES 16).
At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 11 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 280) and in 9 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 176) SDO/HMI images.
Region 13168 [S15W62] was quiet and stable.
Region 13169 [N21W18] developed quickly in the intermediate spot
section with many new spots forming and a large gain in total area. A major
flare is possible. C1 flares: C1.2 @ 00:28, C1.6 @ 03:25, C1.0 @ 07:11, C1.9
@ 13:56, C1.0 @ 18:03, C1.4 @ 22:12 UT
Region 13170 [S20W11] decayed slowly and quietly and could soon
become spotless.
Region 13171 [N24E01] was mostly quiet and stable.
Region 13172 [S34E29] developed slowly as new spots emerged in the
southeastern part of the region.
Region 13173 [N25E49] was quiet and stable.
Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted
differently) by SWPC:
S8113 [N21W31] was quiet and stable.
New region S8118 [N30W48] emerged before noon, then decayed
slowly.
New region S8119 [S20E68] emerged with a few
spots near the southeast limb.
New region S8120 [N20E31] emerged with tiny spots.
New region S8121 [S07E31] emerged with tiny spots.
C2+ flares:
| Magnitude | Peak time (UT) | Location | Source | Recorded by | Comment |
| C4.0 | 04:14 | 13169 | GOES16 | ||
| C2.2 | 08:11 | N18W20 | 13169 | GOES16 | |
| C2.1 | 23:22 | 13169 | GOES16 | ||
| C2.7 | 23:50 | 13169 | GOES16 |
December 22-23: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in available LASCO imagery.
December 24: A filament eruption was observed near AR 13171 starting
at approximately 00:38 UT. LASCO imagery displayed a partial halo CME that
could reach Earth on December 27.
[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 northern hemisphere coronal hole (CH1122) will likely rotate across the central meridian on December 26-27.
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 poor.
Quiet to unsettled geomagnetic conditions are expected for December 25-26. On December 27-28 unsettled to minor storm conditions are possible 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).
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 | ||||||||||
| 13168 | 2022.12.13 2022.12.14 |
1 | 1 | 1 | S15W66 | 0070 | HSX | HSX |
 |
 |
area: 0100 location: S15W62 |
| 13169 | 2022.12.16 2022.12.17 |
25 | 95 | 50 | N20W21 | 0260 | FSI | FAC |
 |
 |
beta-gamma area: 0630 location: N21W18 |
| 13170 | 2022.12.17 2022.12.17 |
11 | 3 | S19W16 | 0015 | BXO | BXO |
 |
 |
location: S20W11 |
|
| S8102 | 2022.12.17 | N06W44 | reversed polarities | ||||||||
| 13171 | 2022.12.18 2022.12.19 |
6 | 17 | 10 | N23W01 | 0140 | CKO | CAO |
 |
 |
location: N24E01 |
| S8106 | 2022.12.18 | N26W53 | |||||||||
| S8107 | 2022.12.18 | S15W26 | |||||||||
| 13174 | 2022.12.19 2022.12.22 |
N23E11 | region should be deleted, spots were within the trailing polarity of AR 13171 | ||||||||
| S8109 | 2022.12.19 | N09W24 | |||||||||
| S8110 | 2022.12.19 | S05W50 | reversed polarities | ||||||||
| 13172 | 2022.12.20 2022.12.21 |
2 | 20 | 9 | S34E24 | 0030 | HSX | DRI |
 |
 |
location: S34E29 area: 0060 |
| S8113 | 2022.12.20 | 6 | 3 | N21W31 | 0010 | AXX |
 |
 |
|||
| 13173 | 2022.12.22 2022.12.22 |
1 | 9 | 5 | N25E49 | 0080 | HSX | CAO |
 |
 |
was AR S8114 area: 0110 |
| S8115 | 2022.12.22 | S03E04 | |||||||||
| S8116 | 2022.12.23 | S17W09 |
 |
||||||||
| S8117 | 2022.12.23 | S25W02 |
 |
||||||||
| S8118 | 2022.12.24 | 1 | N30W48 | 0001 | AXX |
 |
 |
||||
| S8119 | 2022.12.24 | 6 | 4 | S20E68 | 0030 | DRO |
 |
||||
| S8120 | 2022.12.24 | 2 | 1 | N20E31 | 0005 | AXX |
 |
||||
| S8121 | 2022.12.24 | 2 | S07E31 | 0003 | BXO |
 |
|||||
| Total spot count: | 35 | 170 | 86 | ||||||||
| Sunspot number: | 85 | 280 | 176 | (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions) | |||||||
| Weighted SN: | 65 | 196 | 112 | (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): | 93 | 154 | 141 | ||||||||
| 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 |
| 2021.05 | 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 | 64.8 (+4.7) | 10.46 |
| 2022.03 | 117.0 | 115.8 | 78.6 | 68.9 (+4.1) | 10.20 |
| 2022.04 | 130.8 | 131.7 | 84.0 | 73.1 (+4.2) | 11.79 |
| 2022.05 | 133.8 | 136.8 | 96.5 | 77.3 (+4.2) | 7.48 |
| 2022.06 | 116.1 | 119.8 | 70.3 | (80.7 projected, +3.6) | 8.20 |
| 2022.07 | 125.4 | 129.5 | 91.4 | (85.7 projected, +5.0) | 9.51 |
| 2022.08 | 114.2 | 117.1 | 75.4 | (91.4 projected, +5.7) | 10.92 |
| 2022.09 | 135.1 | 136.5 | 96.3 | (96.3 projected, +4.9) | 12.18 |
| 2022.10 | 133.5 | 132.7 | 95.4 | (99.5 projected, +3.2) | 11.16 |
| 2022.11 | 123.4 | 120.7 | 77.6 | (102.3 projected, +2.8) | 9.33 |
| 2022.12 | 145.1 (1) | 86.9 (2A) / 113.3 (2B) / 120.4 (2C) | (107.1 projected, +4.8) | (9.5) | |
| 2023.01 | (113.1 projected, +6.0) | ||||
| 2023.02 | (118.1 projected, +5.0) | ||||
| 2023.03 | (121.2 projected, +3.1) | ||||
| 2023.04 | (126.6 projected, +5.4) | ||||
| 2023.05 | (132.4 projected, +5.8) | ||||
| 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.
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.
