Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on July 10, 2022 at 09:10 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 (July 6, 2022)
Solar cycle Solar cycles 23-25 (July 1, 2022) Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (April 5, 2007)
  Cycle 24-25 progress (July 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 (July 1, 2022) 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013
  Comparison of cycles 12-14, 16, 24-25 (July 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 unsettled on July 9. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 323 and 378 km/sec. The high latitude magnetometer at Andenes recorded quiet to unsettled levels.

Solar flux density measured at 20h UT on 2.8 GHz was 136.9 - increasing 15.6 over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 103.57). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 5 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 5.3). Three hour interval K indices: 11013212 (planetary), 22122212 (Boulder), 12013333 (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 13 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 268) and in 8 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 162) SDO/HMI images.

Region 13046 [N17W43] decayed slowly and quietly losing mature penumbra.
Region 13049 [S12W18] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 13051 [N28W35] developed early in the day, then decayed slowly after noon. C1 flares: C1.5 @ 06:50, C1.7 @ 11:37, C1.5 @ 16:17 UT
Region 13052 [N15W01] decayed slowly quietly.
Region 13053 [N14E19] decayed slowly losing area and spots. M class flaring is still possible. C1 flares: C1.1 @ 05:39, C1.4 @ 08:44 UT
Region 13055 [S18E33] developed further gaining area and spots. M class flaring is possible. C1 flares: C1.6 @ 01:00, C1.4 @ 09:26, C1.5 @ 11:06, C1.1 @ 12:04 UT

Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S7686 [S22W38] was quiet and stable.
S7690
[S21E09] was quiet and stable.
S7691 [N18E48] decayed slowly and quietly.
New region S7692 [N45E10] emerged before noon at a high latitude. At noon the largest spot was even visible in 1K images. Slow decay was observed after noon.
New region S7693 [S17E80] rotated into view with a small spot.
New region S7694 [S09W59] emerged with tiny spots.
New region S7695 [N20E37] was observed with tiny spots in an old plage area.

C2+ flares:

Magnitude Peak time (UT) Location Source Recorded by Comment
C8.5 13:48   13047 GOES16 weak type II radio sweep, CME
C5.1 21:03   13051 GOES16  
C4.6 22:45   13052 GOES16 CME

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

July 7, 9: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in available LASCO imagery.
July 8: A faint, asymmetric full halo was observed in LASCO imagery after the M2.5 LDE in AR 13053 peaking at 20:49 UT. The CME could reach Earth on July 12.

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 small, poorly defined northern hemisphere coronal hole (CH1087) could rotate into an Earth facing position on July 9-10.

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 poor.

Forecast

Quiet conditions are likely on July 10-11. Quiet to minor storm conditions are possible on July 12 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.

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
13046 2022.06.30
2022.07.01
2 2 2 N17W43 0040 HSX HRX

 

13047 2022.06.30
2022.07.02
      S20W87          

location: S18W81

13048 2022.07.01
2022.07.02
      S13W62            
13049 2022.07.01
2022.07.03
  2 1 S12W35 0003   AXX location: S12W18
13051 2022.07.02
2022.07.04
6 11 9 N28W39 0100 CAO DAO

location: N28W35

13050 2022.07.02
2022.07.04
      N18W40            
13052 2022.07.04
2022.07.05
2 6 2 N15W01 0020 HRX CRO  
S7678 2022.07.04       S15W56            
13053 2022.07.04
2022.07.05
18 48 35 N15E20 0650 EKI EKI beta-gamma

location: N14E19

S7680 2022.07.04       S32W43            
S7681 2022.07.05       S30W52            
13054 2022.07.05
2022.07.06
      N21W68          
S7685 2022.07.05       S13E15            
S7686 2022.07.05   4 1 S22W38 0007   BXO  
13055 2022.07.06
2022.07.07
11 52 31 S17E33 0450 EKO EKI area: 0550

location: S18E33

S7688 2022.07.07       N17W18            
S7689 2022.07.07       N21W28            
S7690 2022.07.07   4   S21E09 0007   AXX  
S7691 2022.07.08   1   N18E48 0002   AXX  
S7692 2022.07.09   1   N45E10 0001   AXX  
S7693 2022.07.09   1 1 S17E80 0010   AXX    
S7694 2022.07.09   2   S09W59 0002   BXO    
S7695 2022.07.09   4   N20E37 0005   BXO    
Total spot count: 39 138 82  
Sunspot number: 89 268 162  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 72 169 113  (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): 98 147 130  

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
2020.12 86.9 84.2 23.1 15.3 (+1.7) 4.72
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 31.3 (+3.7) 5.51
2021.08 77.7 79.7 22.0 35.3 (+4.0) 6.19
2021.09 87.0 88.2 51.3 40.0 (+4.7) 6.33
2021.10 88.9 88.3 37.4 45.0 (+5.0) 7.38
2021.11 86.2 84.4 34.8 50.6 (+5.6) 9.83
2021.12 103.0 99.8 67.5 55.7 (+5.1) 6.40
2022.01 103.8 100.5 54.0 (59.5 projected, +3.8) 8.92
2022.02 109.1 106.5 59.7 (65.1 projected, +5.6) 10.46
2022.03 117.0 115.8 78.5 (70.5 projected, +5.4) 10.20
2022.04 130.8 131.7 84.1 (75.7 projected, +5.2) 11.79
2022.05 133.8 136.8 96.5 (82.2 projected, +6.5) 7.48
2022.06 116.1 119.8 70.6 (88.1 projected, +5.9) 8.4
2022.07 113.0 (1)   21.5 (2A) / 73.9 (2B) / 107.3 (2C) (95.3 projected, +7.2) (10.8)
2022.08       (101.9 projected, +6.6)  
2022.09       (106.9 projected, +5.0)  
2022.10       (110.1 projected, +3.2)  
2022.11       (112.9 projected, +2.8)  
2022.12       (117.7 projected, +4.8)  
2023.11       (141.4 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.