Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on November 21, 2022 at 08:40 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 (November 6, 2022)
Solar cycle Solar cycles 23-25 (November 1, 2022) Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (April 5, 2007)
  Cycle 24-25 progress (November 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 (November 1, 2022) 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013
  Comparison of cycles 12-14, 16, 24-25 (November 1, 2022) 4th SSN Workshop, Locarno, 2014
  Solar polar fields vs. solar cycles (August 21, 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 November 20. A weak disturbance related to CH1113 began after noon and intensified early on November 21. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 331 and 431 km/sec. The high latitude magnetometer at Andenes recorded quiet to minor storm levels.

Solar flux density measured at 20h UT on 2.8 GHz was 119.1 - increasing 4.3 over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 120.05). 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: 11001232 (planetary), 01011222 (Boulder), 10000235 (Andenes).

The background x-ray flux is at the class B5 level (GOES 16).

At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 12 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 240) and in 7 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 123) SDO/HMI images.

Region 13147 [S11E18] was quiet and stable.
Region 13148 [S33E09] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 13149 [N23E24] gained many spots and saw significant penumbral area growth. The region has polarity intermixing and a magnetic delta could be forming near the center of the region. An M class flare is possible.
Region 13150 [N21W68] extended further and appears to be in slow decay.

Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S8006 [S11W49] reemerged with a tiny spot.
S8007 [N27W26] was quiet and stable.
S8012 [S24W06] was quiet and stable.
S8015 [S26E11] decayed slowly and quietly.
S8017 [N17W49] decayed slowly and quietly.
New region S8023 [N19W59] emerged with tiny spots.
New region S8024 [N17E13] was observed with tiny spots in an old plage area.

C2+ flares:

Magnitude Peak time (UT) Location Source Recorded by Comment
C3.3 06:09   13150 GOES16  

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

November 18 and 20: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in available LASCO imagery.
November 19: The M1 flare in AR 13150 was associated with a partial halo CME. It is uncertain if Earth will be in the path of components from this CME, any effects are likely on November 22 and 23.

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 large, well defined recurrent coronal hole (CH1113) in the southern hemisphere was Earth facing on November 16-19. A recurrent northern hemisphere coronal hole (CH1114) will rotate across the central meridian on November 20-21.

Propagation

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

Forecast

Quiet to active geomagnetic conditions are expected on November 21-23 due to effects from CH1113. Quiet to unsettled is expected for November 24-25 as a high speed stream from CH1114 becomes geoeffective.

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
13146 2022.11.12
2022.11.13
      N32W63          

location: N32W58

S8006 2022.11.14   1   S11W49 0001   AXX    
S8007 2022.11.15   1   N27W26 0002   AXX  
13148 2022.11.15
2022.11.16
4 11 6 S33E09 0030 CRO CRO  
13147 2022.11.15
2022.11.16
5 20 9 S12E18 0240 DAO CAO area: 0260
13149 2022.11.16
2022.11.17
16 45 24 N23E24 0130 DAI DAC area: 0250
S8012 2022.11.17   5   S24W06 0010   BXO  
S8014 2022.11.17       S07E06          
S8015 2022.11.17   5   S26E11 0008   BXO  
13150 2022.11.18
2022.11.18
7 20 9 N21W70 0120 DAO EAI

location: N21W68

S8017 2022.11.18   2 1 N17W49 0003   BXO  
S8018 2022.11.18       S25W18            
S8019 2022.11.18       S17W35            
S8020 2022.11.19   1 1 N21W04 0003   AXX  
S8021 2022.11.19       N32E15          
S8022 2022.11.19       S18W42          
S8023 2022.11.20   2   N19W59 0002   BXO    
S8024 2022.11.20   7 3 N17E13 0014   AXX    
Total spot count: 32 120 53  
Sunspot number: 72 240 123  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 50 138 71  (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): 79 132 98  

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
2021.04 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 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 (78.5 projected, +5.2) 7.48
2022.06 116.1 119.8 70.3 (84.4 projected, +5.9) 8.20
2022.07 125.4 129.5 91.4 (91.6 projected, +7.2) 9.51
2022.08 114.2 117.1 75.4 (98.2 projected, +6.6) 10.92
2022.09 135.1 136.5 96.3 (103.1 projected, +4.9) 12.18
2022.10 133.5 132.7 95.4 (106.3 projected, +3.2) 11.16
2022.11 129.8 (1)   47.3 (2A) / 71.0 (2B) / 93.5 (2C) (109.1 projected, +2.8) (7.6)
2022.12       (113.9 projected, +4.8)  
2023.01       (119.9 projected, +6.0)  
2023.02       (124.9 projected, +5.0)  
2023.03       (128.0 projected, +3.1)  
2023.04       (133.4 projected, +5.4)  
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.