Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on October 12, 2022 at 08:00 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 unsettled on October 11. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 414 and 474 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 150.3 - increasing 6.0 over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 116.04). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 6 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 6.1). Three hour interval K indices: 32111112 (planetary), 32212222 (Boulder), 43102144 (Andenes).

The background x-ray flux is at the class B6 level (GOES 16).

At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 11 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 236) and in 9 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 148) SDO/HMI images.

Region 13116 [N29W55] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 13118 [N09W05] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 13119 [N29W15] decayed in the leading spot section while development was observed in the central spot section. A minor M class flare is possible. C1 flares: C1.9 @ 01:43 UT

Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S7901 [N23W55] decayed slowly and remains capable of producing M class flares. C1 flares: C1.5 @ 12:54, C1.1 @ 20:40 UT
S7912 [N18W28] was quiet and stable.
S7917 [S15W02] was quiet and stable.
S7918 [S28E63] was quiet and stable.
New region S7919 [N18W62] emerged with tiny spots.
New region S7920 [N22E79] rotated into view with a small spot.
New region S7921 [S22E70] emerged near the southeast limb with tiny spots.
New region S7922 [S14E68] rotated into view with a tiny spot.

C2+ flares:

Magnitude Peak time (UT) Location Source Recorded by Comment
C2.3 02:04 N29W03 13119 GOES16  
C2.0 02:33   S7901 GOES16  
C2.9 03:43   S7901 GOES16  
C2.4 04:33   S7901 GOES16  
M3.9/SB 08:42 N22W42 S7901 GOES16 moderate type II radio sweep, CME off west limb
M1.5 10:52   S7901 GOES16 moderate type II radio sweep, CME off west limb
C3.6 16:45   S7901 GOES16  
C4.5 18:14   S7901 GOES16  
C6.1 18:19   S7901 GOES16  
C2.9 19:31   13119 GOES16  
C3.9 21:21   13119 GOES16  

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

October 9-11: No obviously Earth directed 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]

No obvious coronal holes are currently in potentially geoeffective positions.

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 to fair. Propagation on long distance northeast-southwest paths is poor.

Forecast

Mostly quiet geomagnetic conditions are expected on October 12-15.

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
13112 2022.09.30
2022.09.30
12     N22W54 0330 FKC    

location: N19W66

Keeping the original SWPC number for data integrity

SWPC has split this off as AR 13120

see AR S7901

S7901 2022.09.30   36 18 N23W55 0480   FKI beta-gamma-delta

SWPC has this as AR 13112

S7902 2022.09.30       N27W58            
13116 2022.10.01
2022.10.03
3 11 3 N29W53 0110 CSO CAO

location: N29W55

area: 0170

13118 2022.10.05
2022.10.06
3 13 5 N09W06 0010 BXO DRO

area: 0025

location: N09W05

S7912 2022.10.05   5   N18W28 0007   BXO  
13119 2022.10.06
2022.10.07
14 41 23 N28W18 0150 DSI DSI area: 0260

location: N29W15

S7915 2022.10.07       N31W00            
13120 2022.10.07       N18W67           see AR 13112
S7916 2022.10.09       N37E25            
S7917 2022.10.09   6 2 S15W02 0010   BXO  
S7918 2022.10.10   2 1 S28E63 0006   HRX  
S7919 2022.10.11   4 2 N18W62 0010   BXO    
S7920 2022.10.11   1 1 N22E79 0020   HRX    
S7921 2022.10.11   6 3 S22E70 0015   CRO    
S7922 2022.10.11   1   S14E68 0001   AXX    
Total spot count: 32 126 58  
Sunspot number: 72 236 148  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 52 158 90  (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): 79 130 118  

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
2022.10 156.1 (1)   44.9 (2A) / 126.5 (2B) / 119.1 (2C) (108.3 projected, +3.1) (13.8)
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.