Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on July 10, 2023 at 09:10 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 (July 6, 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 (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 very quiet on July 9. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 352 and 386 km/sec. The high latitude magnetometer at Andenes recorded quiet levels.

Solar flux density measured at 20h UT on 2.8 GHz was 179.2 - increasing 33.1 over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 146.85. In comparison SC24 peaked on June 28, 2014 at 145.50). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 3 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 2.9). Three hour interval K indices: 00011111 (planetary), 00113222 (Boulder), 00022212 (Andenes).

The background x-ray flux is at the class C2 level (GOES 16).

At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 17 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 382) and in 14 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 245) SDO/HMI images.

Region 13358 [S12W51] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 13359 [S21W52] decayed further and produced a few flares. C1 flares: C1.8 @ 15:45 UT
Region 13360 [N22W44] developed slowly and quietly.
Region 13361 [N23W23] decayed losing spots and area. There is still a magnetic delta and C and M flares are likely. C1 flares: C1.7 @ 05:47 UT
Region 13362 [S09E09] was quiet and stable.
Region 13363 [S22E32] decayed slightly and was mostly quiet. M flares are possible. C1 flares: C1.8 @ 03:28 UT
Region 13364 [N23E17] was quiet and stable.
Region 13365 [S35W49] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 13366 [S11W40] decayed and produced a few C flares. C1 flares: C1.9 @ 02:47 UT
Region 13367 [N09E01] developed slowly and was mostly quiet.
New region 13368 [S19W33] was observed with tiny spots as early as July 2. On July 9 new flux emerged and many spots formed. C flares are likely.
New region 13369 [S19W22] emerged on July 8 and was numbered the next day by SWPC.

Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted differently) by SWPC/USAF:
New region S8747 [S15E76] rotated into view with tiny spots.
New region S8748 [N31E15] was observed with tiny spots in an old plage area.
New region S8749 [S02W17] emerged with tiny spots.
New region S8750 [S32W32] emerged with a tiny spot.

C2+ flares:

Magnitude Peak time (UT) Location Source Recorded by Comment
C5.6 00:20 S12W21 13366 GOES16  
C2.4 01:11   13361 GOES16  
C2.2 01:53   13361 GOES16  
C2.5 02:07   13361 GOES16  
C2.0 03:34   13363 GOES16  
C2.0 08:37   13363 GOES16  
C3.8 11:21   13366 GOES16  
C4.1 11:45   13366 GOES16  
C2.1 12:41 southeast limb S8747 GOES16  
C4.4 13:59   13359 GOES16  
C2.4 16:41   13368 GOES16  
C2.2 17:20   13366 GOES16  
C3.7 18:12 S26W52 13359 GOES16  
C2.1 21:04   S8747 GOES16  
C2.3 22:04   13361 GOES16  
C6.8 23:20   13366 GOES16  
C6.6 23:39   13368 GOES16 attributed to AR 13358 by SWPC
C6.2 23:54   13366 GOES16  

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

July 7-9: No obviously Earth directed 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 recurrent northern hemisphere coronal hole (CH1159) will likely rotate across the central meridian on July 10. CH1159 has lost a large part of its area over the last days due to the development of AR 13367.

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

A mostly quiet geomagnetic field is expected on July 10-12. Quiet to active is likely on July 13-14 due to effects from CH1159.

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
13357 2023.06.30
2023.07.01
      S07W76           location: S07W71
13358 2023.06.30
2023.07.01
1 6 1 S13W50 0010 AXX BXO

location: S12W51

13359 2023.06.30
2023.07.01
6 8 2 S22W54 0010 BXO BXO

location: S21W52

area: 0020

13366 2023.06.30
2023.07.07
10 23 14 S10W38 0120 DSI DSI

area: 0210

location: S11W40

13360 2023.06.30
2023.07.01
6 17 8 N23W46 0030 DRI DRI

location: N22W44

S8724 2023.07.02       N09W53            
13368 2023.07.02
2023.07.09
5 23 13 S19W33 0030 DRI DRI area: 0120
S8726 2023.07.02       S37W53            
13361 2023.07.02
2023.07.04
13 35 20 N24W26 0250 EHI EAC

beta-gamma-delta

location: N23W23

area: 0400

S8730 2023.07.03       N18W37            
13362 2023.07.04
2023.07.05
2 3 2 S09E06 0050 HSX HSX location: S09E09

area: 0080

S8733 2023.07.04       N30W23          
13363 2023.07.05
2023.07.06
2 28 13 S21E30 0320 HKX CKO location: S22E32

area: 0900

13364 2023.07.05
2023.07.06
1 3 1 N24E15 0010 AXX CRO location: N23E17
13365 2023.07.05
2023.07.07
2 2 1 S36W48 0010 AXX AXX area: 0005

location: S35W49

S8739 2023.07.06   7 1 N09W25 0012   BXO    
S8741 2023.07.06       N46W01            
13367 2023.07.07
2023.07.08
10 28 18 N10E01 0080 DAI DAI area: 0240

location: N09E01

S8743 2023.07.07       N24W08            
S8744 2023.07.07       S05W43            
13369 2023.07.08
2023.07.09
5 19 8 S18W23 0030 DRO DRI area: 0110
S8746 2023.07.08       S29E10          
S8747 2023.07.09   4 3 S15E76 0030   CRO    
S8748 2023.07.09   3   N31E19 0005   BXO    
S8749 2023.07.09   2   S02W17 0002   AXX    
S8750 2023.07.09   1   S32W32 0001   AXX    
Total spot count: 63 212 105  
Sunspot number: 183 382 245  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 107 257 150  (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): 201 210 196  

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  165.5 (1)   41.3 (2A) / 142.2 (2B) / 169.7 (2C) (135.4 projected, -0.5) (6.4)
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.