Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on November 22, 2022 at 08:05 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 active on November 21 due to effects from CH1113. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 383 and 462 km/sec. The high latitude magnetometer at Andenes recorded quiet to active levels.

Solar flux density measured at 20h UT on 2.8 GHz was 117.0 - increasing 0.7 over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 120.15). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 9 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 9.3). Three hour interval K indices: 34112111 (planetary), 33222221 (Boulder), 43121214 (Andenes).

The background x-ray flux is at the class B4 level (GOES 16).

At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 10 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 176) and in 8 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 126) SDO/HMI images.

Region 13147 [S11E05] was quiet and stable.
Region 13148 [S33W04] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 13149 [N23E10] developed early in the day, then began to decay into a magnetically simple group. The region produced several C flares during the first half of the day with flaring frequency decreasing after noon. C1 flares: C1.3 @ 01:01, C1.1 @ 02:17 UT, C1.1 @ 06:47, C1.1 @ 07:02, C1.1 @ 09:02, C1.3 @ 13:29, C1.4 @ 23:08 UT
Region 13150 [N22W79] decayed quickly and rotated partly out of view.
New region 13151 [S14E20] emerged with many tiny and small spots. Further C class flaring is possible as the region continues to develop. A C7.0 flare was recorded at 07:27 UT on November 22.

Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S8007 [N29W41] was quiet and stable.
S8012 [S22W15] was quiet and stable.
S8017 [N17W62] decayed slowly and quietly.
S8020 [N20W17] was quiet and stable.
S8024 [N16E00] was quiet and stable.

C2+ flares:

Magnitude Peak time (UT) Location Source Recorded by Comment
C3.3 03:47 N24E22 13149 GOES16 reported as C2.9 @ 03:42 UT by SWPC

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

November 20-21: 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 recurrent northern hemisphere coronal hole (CH1114) rotated across the central meridian on November 20-21. A recurrent trans equatorial coronal hole (CH1115) will likely become Earth facing on November 23, while a recurrent northern hemisphere coronal hole (CH1116) is expected to rotate into a geoeffective position on November 24-25.

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 geomagnetic conditions are expected on November 22-23, however, there is a chance of a weak CME impact and unsettled to active conditions. Quiet to unsettled is likely on 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
      N32W77          

location: N32W71

S8007 2022.11.15   1   N29W41 0001   AXX  
13148 2022.11.15
2022.11.16
3 8 6 S33W05 0010 AXX BXO  
13147 2022.11.15
2022.11.16
5 13 9 S11E04 0190 CSO CSO area: 0250
13149 2022.11.16
2022.11.17
15 24 13 N22E10 0150 DAI DAI location: N23E10
S8012 2022.11.17   2 1 S22W15 0005   BXO  
S8014 2022.11.17       S07W07            
S8015 2022.11.17       S26W02          
13150 2022.11.18
2022.11.18
3 3 2 N21W84 0050 DAO HRX

location: N22W79

area: 0030

S8017 2022.11.18   1   N17W62 0001   AXX    
S8018 2022.11.18       S25W31            
S8019 2022.11.18       S17W48            
S8020 2022.11.19   1 1 N20W17 0003   AXX  
S8021 2022.11.19       N32E02            
S8022 2022.11.19       S18W55            
S8024 2022.11.20   5 2 N16E00 0015   AXX  
13151 2022.11.21
2022.11.21
7 18 12 S14E19 0010 BXO DRI   was AR S8025

area: 0060

location: S14E20

Total spot count: 33 76 46  
Sunspot number: 83 176 126  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 48 92 62  (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): 91 97 101  

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
2022.11 129.2 (1)   50.1 (2A) / 71.6 (2B) / 94.5 (2C) (109.1 projected, +2.8) (7.7)
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.