Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on October 7, 2022 at 13:00 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 (October 6, 2022)
Solar cycle Solar cycles 23-25 (October 1, 2022) Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (April 5, 2007)
  Cycle 24-25 progress (October 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 (October 1, 2022) 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013
  Comparison of cycles 12-14, 16, 24-25 (October 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 October 6 under the influence of effects from CH1104 and CME effects. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 482 and 535 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 155.7 - increasing 29.5 over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 115.04). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 17 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 16.9). Three hour interval K indices: 23323443 (planetary), 22433443 (Boulder), 34334465 (Andenes).

The background x-ray flux is at the class B8 level (GOES 16).

At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 12 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 297) and in 10 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 195) SDO/HMI images.

Region 13111 [N27W46] was quiet and stable.
Region 13112 [N20W03] decayed quickly and quietly. Note that SWPC include the spots from AR S7901 in this region.
Region 13115 [S17W38] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 13116 [N30E16] was mostly quiet and stable.
Region 13117 [S10W23] decayed slowly and quietly.
New region 13118 [N09E61] rotated into view on October 5 and was numbered the next day by SWPC.

Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S7901 [N23E09] produced several low level C flares. The leading spot section is still magnetically complex with multiple magnetic deltas. A major flare is possible. C1 flares: C1.9 @ 02:02, C1.3 @ 05:46, C1.8 @ 08:35, C1.1 @ 12:36, C1.1 @ 14:55, C1.7 @ 15:39, C1.5 @ 18:32, C1.5 @ 19:07 UT
S7902 [N28E09] decayed slowly and quietly.
S7911 [S15W65] decayed slowly and quietly.
S7912 [N16E37] decayed slowly and quietly.
New region S7913 [N28E46] emerged with several spots.
New region S7914 [S29W21] emerged with a tiny spot.

C2+ flares:

Magnitude Peak time (UT) Location Source Recorded by Comment
C2.1 02:30   13116 GOES16  
C3.3 03:35   13116 GOES16 LDE
C2.9 23:13 N28E14 13116 GOES16  
C2.4 23:38   13116 GOES16  

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

October 4-6: No obvious CMEs were observed in available LASCO imagery.

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 trans equatorial coronal hole (CH1105) was Earth facing on October 5.

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 to active conditions are expected on October 7-9, first due to combined CME and coronal hole effects, then on October 8-9 due to effects from CH1105.

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
13111 2022.09.26
2022.09.27
1 3 1 N28W47 0050 HSX CSO

location: N27W46

13114 2022.09.30
2022.10.01
      S34W44           location: S32W36
13112 2022.09.30
2022.09.30
54 24 12 N22E09 0800 FKC CAO

area: 0200

location: N20W03

SWPC includes AR S7901 in this region

S7901 2022.09.30   65 43 N23E09 0700   FKC beta-gamma-delta
S7902 2022.09.30   5   N28E09 0008   BXO  
S7903 2022.09.30       S12W43            
13115 2022.10.01
2022.10.03
8 22 11 S18W37 0120 DSO DAO

area: 0080

location: S17W38

13116 2022.10.01
2022.10.03
13 31 18 N30E16 0150 DAI DAI area: 0220
13117 2022.10.02
2022.10.03
1 6 2 S12W23 0010 HRX CRO location: S10W23
S7908 2022.10.03       N12W47            
S7909 2022.10.05       N13W11          
13118 2022.10.05
2022.10.06
2 6 3 N09E61 0010 BXO CRO  
S7911 2022.10.05   2   S15W65 0002   AXX  
S7912 2022.10.05   2 1 N16E37 0005   BXO  
S7913 2022.10.06   10 4 N28E46 0020   CRO    
S7914 2022.10.06   1   S29W21 0002   AXX    
Total spot count: 79 177 95  
Sunspot number: 139 297 195  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 107 216 131  (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): 153 163 156  

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
2021.03 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 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 (74.2 projected, +5.3) 11.79
2022.05 133.8 136.8 96.5 (80.6 projected, +6.4) 7.48
2022.06 116.1 119.8 70.3 (86.5 projected, +5.9) 8.20
2022.07 125.4 129.5 91.4 (93.7 projected, +7.2) 9.51
2022.08 114.2 117.1 75.4 (100.2 projected, +6.5) 10.92
2022.09 135.1 136.5 96.3 (105.2 projected, +5.0) 12.2
2022.10 154.3 (1)   25.5 (2A) / 131.5 (2B) / 117.3 (2C) (108.3 projected, +3.1) (14.3)
2022.11       (111.2 projected, +2.9)  
2022.12       (115.9 projected, +4.7)  
2023.01       (122.0 projected, +6.1)  
2023.02       (127.0 projected, +5.0)  
2023.03       (130.0 projected, +3.0)  
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.