Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on June 29, 2023 at 05:50 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 (June 1, 2023) Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (April 5, 2007)
  Cycle 24-25 progress (June 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 (June 1, 2023) 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013
  Comparison of cycles 12-14, 16, 24-25 (June 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 quiet on June 28. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 409 and 514 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 154.9 - decreasing 9.0 over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 145.15. In comparison SC24 peaked on June 28, 2014 at 145.50). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 7 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 7.0). Three hour interval K indices: 22222122 (planetary), 23222312 (Boulder), 44223233 (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 10 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 214) and in 8 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 143) SDO/HMI images.

Region 13339 [S18W79] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 13340 [N24W68] was less active than on previous days, but did manage to produce an M1.9 flare. C1 flares: C1.8 @ 15:36, C1.8 @ 16:44, C1.5 @ 19:51, C1.6 @ 23:12 UT
Region 13341 [S16W46] decayed further and was mostly quiet.
Region 13345 [N10W50] was quiet and stable.
Region 13348 [S32W18] was mostly quiet and stable. C1 flares: C1.1 @ 04:31 UT
Region 13349 [N09W28] remerged with tiny spots.
Region 13351 [N22W06] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 13354 [N14W00] developed further and has X class flare potential. Several small magnetic delta configurations are still present, however, the region has yet to produce any significant activity. C1 flares: C1.1 @ 00:15, C1.4 @ 00:32, C1.4 @ 00:53, C1.0 @ 01:49, C1.3 @ 03:35, C1.6 @ 04:09, C1.2 @ 04:24, C1.2 @ 04:38, C1.2 @ 05:30, C1.2 @ 05:49, C1.0 @ 06:03, C1.9 @ 15:17, C1.6 @ 16:09, C1.6 @ 19:22, C1.7 @ 21:24, C1.8 @ 21:34, C1.4 @ 21:56 UT
Region 13355 [S15E48] was quiet and stable.

Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted differently) by SWPC/USAF:
S8707 [N21E19] was quiet and stable.

A C1.4 flare was recorded from a source behind the northwest limb at 07:54 UT.

C2+ flares:

Magnitude Peak time (UT) Location Source Recorded by Comment
C3.3 02:23 behind northwest limb   GOES16  
M1.9/2N 08:44   13340 GOES16  
C2.4 10:00   13354 GOES16  
C2.4 13:33   13354 GOES16 simultaneous flare at the northwest limb
C5.4 18:39 N17W02 13354 GOES16  
C5.0 18:58 S31W12 13348 GOES16  

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

June 26-28: 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 small southern hemisphere coronal hole (CH1156) rotated across the central meridian on June 26-27.

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

Quiet conditions are expected for June 29. June 30-July 1 could see some unsettled and active intervals due to effects from CH1156.

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
13339 2023.06.16
2023.06.17
1 2 2 S21W78 0040 HAX CAO

location: S18W79

13340 2023.06.17 14 19 9 N23W72 0220 EAI EAI

location: N24W68

13341 2023.06.18
2023.06.19
1 3 2 S15W47 0030 HAX HRX

 

13345 2023.06.19
2023.06.20
1 3 3 N09W50 0020 HRX AXX

 

13346 2023.06.20
2023.06.21
      N08W75           location: N09W72
13350 2023.06.20
2023.06.23
      S11W31         location: S09W27
S8687 2023.06.20       N31W54            
S8689 2023.06.21       N15W27            
13348 2023.06.21
2023.06.23
3 1 1 S33W19 0010 BXO AXX location: S32W18

area: 0004

13349 2023.06.22
2023.06.23
  2   N08W30 0005   AXX   location: N09W28
13351 2023.06.22
2023.06.23
2 4 3 N21W08 0010 BXO CRO location: N22W06

area: 0015

S8695 2023.06.22       N16W46            
S8698 2023.06.22       N37W51            
13354 2023.06.22
2023.06.26
38 74 42 N14W03 0880 EKC EKC beta-gamma-delta

area: 1350

location: N14W00

13353 2023.06.24       S18W68           location is inside the trailing spot section of AR 13339
S8704 2023.06.24       N08W20            
S8705 2023.06.25       N29W34          
13355 2023.06.26
2023.06.27
1 2 1 S16E42 0030 HSX HAX area: 0080

location: S16E48

S8707 2023.06.27       N20E18          
Total spot count: 61 114 63  
Sunspot number: 141 214 143  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 94 145 94  (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): 155 118 114  

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
2021.10 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 64.7 (+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 (105.8 projected, +4.8) 10.99
2023.01 182.4 176.6 143.6 (112.2 projected, +6.4) 8.73
2023.02 167.2 163.2 110.9 (117.0 projected, +4.8) 14.48
(current
SC25 peak)
2023.03 157.2 155.6 122.6 (120.1 projected, +3.1) 14.42
2023.04 145.4 146.4 96.4 (125.5 projected, +5.4) 13.40
2023.05 155.6 159.2 137.9 (131.2 projected, +5.7) 10.67
2023.06 161.8 (1)   134.0 (2A) / 143.5 (2B) / 177.1 (2C) (134.3 projected, +3.1) (8.4)
2023.07       (133.8 projected, -0.5)  
2023.08       (134.8 projected, +1.0)  
2023.09       (138.2 projected, +3.4)  
2023.10       (140.1 projected, +1.9)  
2023.11       (142.7 projected max SC25)  
2023.12       (142.6 projected, -0.1)  

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.