Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on August 14, 2023 at 07:05 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 (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 on August 13. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 313 and 440 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 150.4 - decreasing 29.6 over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 151.84. In comparison SC24 peaked on June 28, 2014 at 145.50). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 4 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 4.1). Three hour interval K indices: 21111111 (planetary), 22122321 (Boulder), 42122101 (Andenes).

The background x-ray flux is at the class B9 level (GOES 16).

At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 18 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 275) and in 13 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 169) SDO/HMI images.

Region 13394 [S22W67] was mostly quiet and stable. C1 flares: C1.3 @ 04:32 UT
Region 13395 [N13W56] decayed further and was mostly quiet.
Region 13397 [N19W30] developed mature penumbra on both polarities. C1 flares: C1.3 @ 00:35 UT
Region 13399 [S16W11] was quiet and stable.
Region 13401 [N25W73] decayed slowly and quietly.
New region 13402 [S18W48] emerged on August 12 and decayed significantly on August 13 when it was numbered by SWPC.
New region 13403 [N27E32] emerged before noon and developed moderately quickly. Weak polarity intermixing is present. C1 flares: C1.2 @ 10:41, C1.1 @ 15:56, C1.3 @ 19:24 UT

Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted differently) by SWPC/USAF:
S8837 [N04W22] reemerged with tiny spots.
S8840 [S27W54] reemerged with tiny spots.
S8848 [N23E04] was quiet and stable.
S8849 [S09W40] was quiet and stable.
S8850 [N23E49] decayed slowly and quietly.
S8851 [N07E19] was quiet and stable.
New region S8854 [S17E08] emerged with tiny spots.
New region S8855 [S08E73] rotated into view with mature spots.
New region S8856 [N20E24] emerged after noon with several spots.
New region S8857 [N10E88] began to rotate into view.
New region S8858 [S12W40] emerged with tiny spots.

C2+ flares:

Magnitude Peak time (UT) Location Source Recorded by Comment
C2.4 09:53 N12W49 13395 GOES16  
C2.1 22:25   13395 GOES16  
C2.1 22:37   13395 GOES16  

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

August 10-12: 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) was in an Earth facing position on August 12-13. A southern hemisphere coronal hole (CH1165) will rotate across the central meridian on August 13-14.

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

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet on August 14. Effects from CH1164 and CH1165 could cause quiet to active conditions on August 15-17.

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 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
13394 2023.08.02
2023.08.03
1 1 1 S23W67 0120 HSX HHX area: 0320

location: S22W67

13395 2023.08.03 9 17 5 N13W57 0100 DSO DAO

area: 0130

S8821 2023.08.03       N32W34          
13401 2023.08.05
2023.08.11
  2 1 N25W73 0004   AXX  
13396 2023.08.06
2023.08.07
      N19W78           location: N19W72
13397 2023.08.06
2023.08.07
10 14 8 N19W31 0120 DAO DAO area: 0220

location: N19W30

S8834 2023.08.06       S13W54            
13399 2023.08.06
2023.08.09
  6   S15W20 0010   AXX location: S16W11
S8837 2023.08.07   3 1 N04W22 0005   AXX    
S8838 2023.08.07       S14W30            
S8839 2023.08.08       S28E02            
S8840 2023.08.08   2   S27W54 0002   AXX    
13400 2023.08.10
2023.08.11
      S14W34            
S8845 2023.08.10       S19W06            
S8847 2023.08.10       N12W18            
S8848 2023.08.10   7   N23E04 0010   BXO  
S8849 2023.08.11   2 1 S09W40 0004   AXX  
S8850 2023.08.11   3 1 N23E49 0008   BXO  
S8851 2023.08.11   4 1 N07E19 0007   BXO  
13402 2023.08.12
2023.08.13
1 2 1 S18W48 0010 AXX AXX area: 0006
13403 2023.08.13
2023.08.13
7 17 13 N26E32 0050 CAO DRI   was AR S8853

area: 0130

S8854 2023.08.13   4 1 S17E08 0007   BXO    
S8855 2023.08.13   2 2 S08E73 0130   HAX    
S8856 2023.08.13   6 3 N20E24 0030   CRO    
S8857 2023.08.13   1   N10E88 0030   HSX    
S8858 2023.08.13   2   S12W40 0003   BXO    
Total spot count: 28 95 39  
Sunspot number: 78 275 169  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 48 131 70  (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): 86 151 135  

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  163.1 (1)   44.6 (2A) / 106.4 (2B) / 139.7 (2C) (141.5 projected, +1.8) (9.1)
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.