Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on July 5, 2023 at 09:20 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 (June 1, 2023)
Solar cycle Solar cycles 23-25 (July 1, 2023) Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (April 5, 2007)
  Cycle 24-25 progress (July 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 (July 1, 2023) 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013
  Comparison of cycles 12-14, 16, 24-25 (July 1, 2023) 4th SSN Workshop, Locarno, 2014
  Solar polar fields vs. solar cycles (May 29, 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 very quiet on July 4. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 347 and 396 km/sec. The high latitude magnetometer at Andenes recorded quiet levels.

Solar flux density measured at 20h UT on 2.8 GHz was 167.2 - unchanged over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 146.28. 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: 3.5). Three hour interval K indices: 11111111 (planetary), 11122222 (Boulder), 21111112 (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 13 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 315) and in 12 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 204) SDO/HMI images.

Region 13354 [N15W79] rotated partly out of view and produced several flares. C1 flares: C1.5 @ 11:20, C1.9 @ 16:43 UT
Region 13355 [S14W30] was quiet and stable.
Region 13356 [S08W14] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 13357 [S06W07] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 13358 [S13E15] decayed further and was mostly quiet.
Region 13359 [S21E14] was mostly quiet and stable. C1 flares: C1.5 @ 10:54 UT
Region 13360 [N23E19] developed slowly and produced a few flares.
New region 13361 [N23E43] rotated into view on June 2 and was numbered by SWPC 2 days later as the region developed further. Some polarity intermixing is present and C flares are likely.

Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted differently) by SWPC/USAF:
S8717 [S10E29] was quiet and stable.
S8725 [S19E30] was quiet and stable.
New region S8731 [S16W63] emerged with tiny spots.
New region S8732 [S09E76] rotated into view with a mature spot.
New region S8733 [N30E39] was observed with tiny spots in an old plage area.

C2+ flares:

Magnitude Peak time (UT) Location Source Recorded by Comment
C4.2 00:28   13360 GOES16  
C2.5 01:34   13354 GOES16  
C2.7 02:01   13354 GOES16  
C2.9 02:27   13360 GOES16  
C3.2 03:17   13360 GOES16  
C3.8 04:00   13360 GOES16  
C3.5 05:06   13354 GOES16  
C7.2 06:41 N24E28 13360 GOES16 simultaneous flare in AR 13354
C4.1 07:13   13354 GOES16  
C3.0 08:15 S13E24 13358 GOES16  
C2.0 09:28   13354 GOES16  
M1.4 12:35 N16W82 13354 GOES16  
C6.0 13:29   13354 GOES16  
C4.6 14:36   13354 GOES16 simultaneous flare in AR 13361
C2.1 15:17   13358 GOES16  
C2.8 18:53   13354 GOES16  
C8.0 19:28   13354 GOES16  
C5.2 21:33   13359 GOES16 simultaneous flare in AR 13354
C4.8 22:12   13354 GOES16 simultaneous flare in AR 13359
C2.3 23:13   13354 GOES16  
C6.0 23:39   13354 GOES16 attributed to flare in AR 13361 by SWPC, a flare which was smaller and peaked later

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

July 2-3: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed.
July 4: A filament eruption in the southeast quadrant was observed beginning near 02:30 UT and was associated with a partial halo CME. This CME could reach Earth on July 7.

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 recurrent northern hemisphere coronal hole (CH1158) will be Earth facing on July 4-5.

Propagation

Long distance low and medium frequency (below 2 MHz) propagation along paths north of due west over upper middle and high latitudes is fair. Propagation on long distance northeast-southwest paths is poor.

Forecast

Quiet conditions are likely on July 5-6. On July 7 effects from the July 4 CME could cause unsettled to minor storm conditions. A high speed stream associated with CH1158 could cause unsettled to minor storm conditions on July 7-8.

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
13354 2023.06.22
2023.06.26
25 10 6 N16W87 1130 FKC EKC

 

13355 2023.06.26
2023.06.27
  8 3 S16W32 0015   CRO

location: S14W30

13356 2023.06.29
2023.06.30
  6 1 S07W21 0010   BXO location: S08W14
S8711 2023.06.29       N14W16            
S8712 2023.06.29       S12W43            
S8713 2023.06.29       S12W54            
13357 2023.06.30
2023.07.01
7 28 13 S07W09 0040 DAO DRI location: S06W07

area: 0070

13358 2023.06.30
2023.07.01
13 29 15 S14E14 0040 DSI DRI

location: S13E15

area: 0060

13359 2023.06.30
2023.07.01
5 20 12 S21E11 0060 DSO DSI

location: S21E14

area: 0280

S8717 2023.06.30   21 6 S10E29 0030   BXO  
S8718 2023.06.30       N14W17            
13360 2023.06.30
2023.07.01
8 21 10 N23E15 0030 CAO CAO

location: N23E19

area: 0080

S8720 2023.06.30       N30W38          
S8721 2023.06.30       N17W01            
S8722 2023.07.01       S17W55            
S8724 2023.07.02       N09E12            
S8725 2023.07.02   11 4 S19E30 0010   BXO  
S8726 2023.07.02       S37E12            
S8727 2023.07.02       N29W59            
13361 2023.07.02
2023.07.04
3 22 11 N23E45 0010 BXO DAI location: N23E43

area: 0150

S8729 2023.07.02       N40W46            
S8730 2023.07.03       N18E15          
S8731 2023.07.04   6 2 S16W63 0020   CRO    
S8732 2023.07.04   1 1 S09E76 0120   HSX    
S8733 2023.07.04   2   N30E39 0003   AXX    
Total spot count: 61 185 84  
Sunspot number: 121 315 204  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 91 227 126  (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): 133 173 163  

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
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 64.7 (+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 (113.7 projected, +6.1) 8.73
2023.02 167.2 163.2 110.9 (118.5 projected, +4.8) 14.48
(current
SC25 peak)
2023.03 157.2 155.6 122.6 (121.6 projected, +3.1) 14.42
2023.04 145.4 146.4 96.4 (127.0 projected, +5.4) 13.40
2023.05 155.6 159.2 137.9 (132.7 projected, +5.7) 10.67
2023.06 161.7 166.8 163.4 (135.9 projected, +3.2) 8.9
2023.07  169.0 (1)   15.6 (2A) / 120.8 (2B) / 173.5 (2C) (135.4 projected, -0.5) (4.0)
2023.08       (136.4 projected, +1.0)  
2023.09       (139.8 projected, +3.4)  
2023.10       (141.6 projected, +1.8)  
2023.11       (144.2 projected max SC25, +2.6)  
2023.12       (143.4 projected, -0.1)  
2024.01       (140.1 projected, -3.3)  

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.