Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on August 11, 2023 at 08:30 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 (August 5, 2023)
Solar cycle Solar cycles 23-25 (August 1, 2023) Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (April 5, 2007)
  Cycle 24-25 progress (August 1, 2023) 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 (August 1, 2023) 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013
  Comparison of cycles 12-14, 16, 24-25 (August 1, 2023) 4th SSN Workshop, Locarno, 2014
  Solar polar fields vs. solar cycles (July 10, 2023) 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 August 10. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 350 and 552 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 155.7 - decreasing 24.9 over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 151.64. In comparison SC24 peaked on June 28, 2014 at 145.50). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 6 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 6.3). Three hour interval K indices: 12220122 (planetary), 12233322 (Boulder), 34123433 (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 12 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 206) and in 11 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 157) SDO/HMI images.

Region 13391 [N22W78] rotated quietly to the northwest limb.
Region 13394 [S22W28] decayed slowly producing several C flares.
Region 13395 [N13W16] gained spots and area and produced several C flares. M class flaring is possible.
Region 13397 [N19E09] was quiet and stable.
Region 13399 [S14E23] decayed slowly and quietly.

Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted differently) by SWPC/USAF:
S8834 [S13W28] reemerged with a tiny spot.
S8837 [N06E06] was quiet and stable.
S8839 [S28E28] reemerged with a tiny spot.
New region S8845 [S19E33] emerged with tiny spots.
New region S8846 [N14W59] emerged with a tiny spot.
New region S8847 [N14E28] emerged with tiny spots.
New region S8848 [N23E04] emerged with a tiny spot.

AR 13398 produced several C flares while rotating over the southwest limb,

C2+ flares:

Magnitude Peak time (UT) Location Source Recorded by Comment
C4.0 00:32 S23W12 13394 GOES16  
C5.4 02:42 S21W78 13398 GOES16  
C2.7 15:55 N14W14 13395 GOES16  
C2.5 19:57 S22W22 13394 GOES16  
C3.2 20:16   13398 GOES16  
C3.3 20:35   13394 GOES16  
C7.6 22:18 S21W84 13398 GOES16  
C6.6/1N 22:50 N13W18 13395 GOES16  
C5.9 23:07   13395 GOES16  

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

August 8-10: No obviously Earth direction CMEs were observed.

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 northern hemisphere coronal hole (CH1164) will be in an Earth facing position on August 12-13.

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

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet on August 11-14. Effects from CH1164 could cause quiet to active conditions on August 15-16.

Coronal holes (1) Coronal mass ejections (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 90Location at midnight Area Classification SDO / HMI 4K continuum
image with magnetic polarity overlays
Comment
SWPC/
USAF
Magnetic
(SDO)
SWPC STAR Current Previous
2K 1K
13391 2023.07.28
2023.07.29
1 1 1 N22W80 0040 HSX HSX  
13392 2023.07.29
2023.07.31
1     N09W90 0030 HSX     rotated out of view
13394 2023.08.02
2023.08.03
6 17 7 S24W28 0210 CSO CHO area: 0280

location: S22W28

13395 2023.08.03 11 35 24 N13W18 0240 CSO DAC

beta-gamma-delta

S8821 2023.08.03       N32E02          
S8822 2023.08.03       S11W44            
S8828 2023.08.05   4 2 N26W30 0020   CRO  
S8829 2023.08.05       N14W32            
13396 2023.08.06
2023.08.07
      N19W36           location: N19W33
13397 2023.08.06
2023.08.07
1 10 3 N20E08 0010 AXX BXO area: 0020

location: N19E09

S8834 2023.08.06       S13W15            
13399 2023.08.06
2023.08.09
3 4 2 S15E24 0010 BXO HRX  
S8836 2023.08.06       N17W42            
S8837 2023.08.07   2 1 N07E27 0005   AXX  
S8838 2023.08.07       S14W04            
S8839 2023.08.08       S28E43          
S8840 2023.08.08       S28W16          
S8841 2023.08.08       S36W11            
S8843 2023.08.09       N11W44          
S8844 2023.08.10   4 3 S14E09 0015   CRO    
S8845 2023.08.10   4 2 S19E33 0010   BXO    
S8846 2023.08.10   1 1 N14W59 0006   AXX    
S8847 2023.08.10   3 1 N14E28 0007   AXX    
S8848 2023.08.10   1   N26E44 0001   AXX    
Total spot count: 23 86 47  
Sunspot number: 83 206 157  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 43 115 86  (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): 91 113 126  

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 (SC24 solar max) 7.88
2017.09 91.3 92.3 43.6 18.2 (-1.3) 18.22
(SC24 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
2022.01 103.8 100.5 55.3 60.1 (+4.2) 8.92
2022.02 109.1 106.5 60.9 64.7 (+4.6) 10.46
2022.03 117.0 115.8 78.6 68.7 (+4.0) 10.20
2022.04 130.8 131.7 84.0 73.0 (+4.3) 11.79
2022.05 133.8 136.8 96.5 77.4 (+4.4) 7.48
2022.06 116.1 119.8 70.3 81.1 (+3.7) 8.20
2022.07 125.4 129.5 91.4 86.7 (+5.6) 9.51
2022.08 114.2 117.1 74.6 92.5 (+5.8) 10.92
2022.09 135.1 136.5 96.0 96.4 (+3.9) 12.18
2022.10 133.5 132.7 95.5 98.7 (+2.3) 11.16
2022.11 123.4 120.7 80.5 101.0 (+2.3) 9.33
2022.12 147.9 143.4 112.8 106.6 (+5.6) 10.99
2023.01 182.4 176.6 143.6 113.3 (+6.7) 8.73
2023.02 167.2 163.2 110.9 (119.1 projected, +5.8) 14.48
(current
SC25 peak)
2023.03 157.2 155.6 122.6 (124.4 projected, +5.3) 14.42
2023.04 145.4 146.4 96.4 (130.5 projected, +6.1) 13.40
2023.05 155.6 159.2 137.9 (136.1 projected, +5.6) 10.67
2023.06 161.7 166.8 163.4 (139.3 projected, +3.2) 8.95
2023.07  176.4 182.2 159.1 (139.7 projected, +0.4) 8.15
2023.08  165.6 (1)   40.1 (2A) / 113.1 (2B) / 140.7 (2C) (141.5 projected, +1.8) (9.8)
2023.09       (145.0 projected, +3.5)  
2023.10       (146.8 projected, +1.8)  
2023.11       (149.4 projected max SC25, +2.6)  
2023.12       (148.6 projected, -0.8)  
2024.01       (145.7 projected, -2.9)  
2024.02       (144.3 projected, -1.4)  

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: WDC-SILSO, Royal Observatory Of Belgium, Brussels

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.