Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on October 9, 2022 at 12:15 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 unsettled on October 8 under the influence of coronal hole and CME effects. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 440 and 607 km/sec. The high latitude magnetometer at Andenes recorded quiet to major storm levels.

Solar flux density measured at 20h UT on 2.8 GHz was 157.2 - increasing 5.7 over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 115.44). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 11 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 11.3). Three hour interval K indices: 13323332 (planetary), 22323322 (Boulder), 13224364 (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 9 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 278) and in 8 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 173) SDO/HMI images.

Region 13111 [N28W73] developed slowly and quietly losing mature penumbra.
Region 13112 [N20W30] decayed slowly and quietly. Note that SWPC originally included the spots from AR S7901 in this region. SWPC split this region off from what they now consider to be AR 13112 on October 7 and named the group AR 13120.
Region 13115 [S17W66] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 13116 [N29W12] produced a few C flares. The region has minor polarity intermixing and an M flare is possible. C1 flares: C1.3 @ 18:53, C1.1 @ 19:56, C1.7 @ 21:37 UT
Region 13118 [N09E35] was mostly quiet and stable. C flares: C1.3 @ 03:46, C1.0 @ 07:51, C1.7 @ 11:48 UT
Region 13119 [N29E21] developed significantly and could produce C flares. C1 flare: C1.0 @ 06:21 UT

Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S7901 [N23W18] produced several C flares. The leading spot section is still magnetically complex with a magnetic delta. There is polarity intermixing in the trailing spot section. A major flare is possible. C1 flares: C1.6 @ 11:13, C1.5 @ 15:53, C1.7 @ 16:29, C1.3 @ 17:31  UT
S7902 [N27W19] was quiet and stable.
S7912 [N18E14] was quiet and stable.

C2+ flares:

Magnitude Peak time (UT) Location Source Recorded by Comment
C6.6 00:40 N24E01 S7901 GOES16  
C2.0 01:10   S7901 GOES16  
C2.9 09:38 N24W03 S7901 GOES16  

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

October 6-8: 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 9 due to effects from CH1105. Quiet to unsettled is expected for October 10-11.

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 2 N27W73 0020 HSX HRX

 

13114 2022.09.30
2022.10.01
      S34W72           location: S32W62
13112

(13120)

2022.09.30
2022.09.30
32 15 6 N22W16 0470 FKI BXO

area: 0020

location: N20W30

Keeping the original SWPC number for data integrity

SWPC has split this off as AR 13120

S7901 2022.09.30   67 32 N23W18 0550   FKC beta-gamma-delta

SWPC has this as AR 13112

S7902 2022.09.30   1   N27W19 0001   AXX  
13115 2022.10.01
2022.10.03
2 3 2 S17W66 0010 AXX HRX  
13116 2022.10.01
2022.10.03
15 46 24 N30W13 0150 EAI EAI beta-gamma

location: N30W12

13117 2022.10.02
2022.10.03
      S11W53           location: S10W49
S7909 2022.10.05       N13W37            
13118 2022.10.05
2022.10.06
4 12 6 N08E34 0020 DRO DRO area: 0040

location: N09E35

S7912 2022.10.05   3 1 N18E14 0006   BXO  
13119 2022.10.06
2022.10.07
9 38 20 N28E19 0110 DAO DAI area: 0180

location: N29E21

S7914 2022.10.06       S29W47            
S7915 2022.10.07       N31E39          
13120 2022.10.07 4     N20W32 0010 AXX       see AR 13112
Total spot count: 67 188 93  
Sunspot number: 137 278 173  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 95 217 121  (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): 151 153 138  

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) 12.18
2022.10 155.4 (1)   34.6 (2A) / 134.0 (2B) / 119.1 (2C) (108.3 projected, +3.1) (14.0)
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.