The geomagnetic field was quiet to active on November 21 under the influence of effects from CH1187. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 330 and 465 km/sec. The high latitude magnetometer at Andenes recorded quiet to minor storm levels.
Solar flux density measured at 20h UT on 2.8 GHz was 171.5 - increasing 45.7 over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 156.54. In comparison SC24 peaked on June 28, 2014 at 145.50). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 18 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 18.4). Three hour interval K indices: 23443334 (planetary), 12434533 (Boulder), 31233455 (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 14 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 299) and in 11 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 196) SDO/HMI images.
Region 13488 [N29W19] was quiet and stable.
Region 13489 [S14E18] decayed and was less
active than during the previous days. The region lost area and simplified
magnetically as the delta structures dissipated.
Region 13491 [N10E45] was quiet and stable.
Region 13492 [N19E50] developed further and has significant polarity
intermixing. A major flare is
possible. C1 flares: C1.9 @ 19:48 UT
Region 13493 [S12E59] was mostly quiet and stable.
Region 13494 [S17E64] was mostly quiet and stable.
Region 13496 [N07E23] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 13497 [N18E36] decayed slowly and was mostly quiet.
New region 13498 [S11W25] emerged quickly before noon near ARs S9164
and S9167.
Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted
differently) by SWPC/USAF:
S9156 [N22E39] developed as new spots emerged near the largest
penumbra.
S9162 [S17E50] decayed slowly and quietly.
S9164 [S09W28] developed early in the day, then decayed slowly.
S9166 [S31E23] lost the trailer spot and gained tiny leader
spots.
New region S9167 [S09W32] emerged with tiny spots.
C2+ flares:
| Magnitude | Peak time (UT) | Location | Source | Recorded by | Comment |
| C4.2 | 00:49 | behiund northeast limb | GOES18 | ||
| C6.4 | 01:18 | 13494 | GOES18 | ||
| C3.1 | 02:03 | 13492 | GOES18 | ||
| C3.4 | 02:07 | 13489 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.9 | 02:33 | 13489 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.0 | 03:19 | 13492 | GOES18 | ||
| C6.6 | 03:45 | S16E32 | 13489 | GOES18 | |
| C2.0 | 04:50 | 13492 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.7 | 05:42 | 13492 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.5 | 05:58 | 13489 | GOES18 | ||
| C3.7 | 07:13 | N16E63 | 13492 | GOES18 | |
| C2.2 | 08:14 | behind southeast limb | GOES18 | ||
| C2.4 | 09:42 | 13492 | GOES18 | ||
| C3.1 | 10:02 | 13492 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.7 | 10:24 | 13492 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.1 | 10:49 | 13492 | GOES18 | ||
| C3.2 | 11:10 | 13492 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.4 | 11:21 | 13492 | GOES18 | ||
| C3.0 | 11:44 | 13492 | GOES18 | ||
| C3.0 | 11:53 | 13489 | GOES18 | ||
| C3.2 | 12:30 | 13492 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.6 | 13:02 | 13489 | GOES18 | ||
| C3.5 | 13:36 | 13492 | GOES18 | ||
| C7.7 | 13:52 | 13492 | GOES18 | ||
| C3.9 | 14:36 | 13489 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.1 | 15:31 | 13489 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.7 | 16:21 | N17E58 | 13492 | GOES18 | |
| C2.0 | 16:44 | 13493 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.1 | 19:25 | 13492 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.0 | 20:56 | 13489 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.1 | 21:27 | S9156 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.2 | 21:38 | 13489 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.1 | 22:14 | 13492 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.6 | 22:40 | 13497 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.8 | 23:19 | S9156 | GOES18 | SWPC incorrectly attributed this to AR 13495 | |
| C4.5 | 23:38 | S9156 | GOES18 |
November 19-21: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed.
[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 well defined positive polarity northern hemisphere coronal hole (CH1187) was Earth facing on November 18. A positive polarity northern hemisphere coronal hole (CH1189) will likely become Earth facing on November 23-24.
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.
The geomagnetic field is expected to be unsettled to minor storm on November 22 and quiet to unsettled on November 23 due to effects from CH1187. Quiet conditions are likely on November 24-25. Effects from CH1189 could cause quiet to minor storm conditions on November 26-27.
| 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.
(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 | ||||||||||
| S9141 | 2023.11.13 | N25W24 | |||||||||
| S9142 | 2023.11.13 | N09W56 | |||||||||
| 13488 | 2023.11.14 2023.11.14 |
6 | N31W18 | 0010 | BXO |
 |
 |
location: N29W19 |
|||
| S9147 | 2023.11.15 | N19W54 | |||||||||
| S9149 | 2023.11.16 | S08W23 | |||||||||
| 13489 | 2023.11.16 2023.11.17 |
14 | 37 | 23 | S16E18 | 0220 | DAC | DAI |
 |
 |
beta-gamma location: S14E18 |
| S9151 | 2023.11.16 | S24W06 | |||||||||
| S9152 | 2023.11.16 | S14W40 | |||||||||
| S9153 | 2023.11.17 | N22W37 | |||||||||
| S9154 | 2023.11.17 | S18W38 |
 |
||||||||
| 13497 | 2023.11.18 2023.11.20 |
5 | 2 | N16E36 | 0040 | CRO |
 |
 |
location: N18E36 SWPC has moved AR 13490 back and forth over the last days and has finally decided that what was AR 13497 is now the southern part of 13490 to them |
||
| S9156 | 2023.11.18 | 20 | 9 | N22E39 | 0190 | DAO |
 |
 |
beta-gamma SWPC apparently considers this region as two groups (13490 and 13495) |
||
| 13490 | 2023.11.18 | 4 | N20E36 | 0120 | CAO | ||||||
| S9157 | 2023.11.18 | N13W05 |
 |
||||||||
| 13492 | 2023.11.18 2023.11.20 |
14 | 49 | 31 | N18E50 | 0280 | DKI | EKC |
 |
 |
beta-gamma area: 0660 |
| 13491 | 2023.11.18 2023.11.19 |
1 | 3 | 2 | N13E41 | 0040 | HSX | HSX |
 |
 |
location: N10E45 area: 0090 |
| 13496 | 2023.11.19 2023.11.20 |
3 | 5 | 2 | N09E22 | 0010 | BXO | CRO |
 |
 |
location: N07E23 area: 0015 |
| 13493 | 2023.11.20 2023.11.20 |
1 | 2 | 1 | S12E55 | 0030 | HSX | HSX |
 |
 |
location: S12E59 area: 0130 |
| S9162 | 2023.11.20 | 1 | S17E50 | 0001 | AXX |
 |
 |
||||
| 13494 | 2023.11.20 2023.11.20 |
1 | 1 | 1 | S16E64 | 0030 | HSX | HAX |
 |
 |
location: S17E64 area: 0150 |
| 13495 | 2023.11.20 | 2 | N27E45 | 0030 | HRX | apparently the spots in the northeastern part of AR S9156 | |||||
| S9164 | 2023.11.20 | 7 | 4 | S09W28 | 0020 | CRO |
 |
 |
|||
| S9165 | 2023.11.20 | N47W39 |
 |
||||||||
| S9166 | 2023.11.20 | 2 | S33E48 | 0004 | AXX |
 |
 |
||||
| 13498 | 2023.11.21 2023.11.21 |
8 | 17 | 9 | S11W26 | 0050 | CAO | DAI |
 |
location: S11W25 area: 0140 |
|
| S9167 | 2023.11.21 | 4 | 2 | S09W32 | 0007 | BXO |
 |
||||
| Total spot count: | 48 | 159 | 86 | ||||||||
| Sunspot number: | 138 | 299 | 196 | (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions) | |||||||
| Weighted SN: | 91 | 208 | 135 | (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): | 152 | 164 | 157 | ||||||||
| 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 |
| 2022.04 | 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 | 92.6 (+5.9) | 10.92 |
| 2022.09 | 135.1 | 136.5 | 96.0 | 96.5 (+3.9) | 12.18 |
| 2022.10 | 133.5 | 132.7 | 95.5 | 98.9 (+2.4) | 11.16 |
| 2022.11 | 123.4 | 120.7 | 80.5 | 101.2 (+2.3) | 9.33 |
| 2022.12 | 147.9 | 143.4 | 112.8 | 106.7 (+5.5) | 10.99 |
| 2023.01 | 182.4 | 176.6 | 144.4 | 113.3 (+6.6) | 8.73 |
| 2023.02 | 167.2 | 163.2 | 111.3 | 117.8 (+3.5) | 14.48 (current SC25 peak) |
| 2023.03 | 157.2 | 155.6 | 123.3 | 121.0 (+3.2) | 14.42 |
| 2023.04 | 145.4 | 146.4 | 97.6 | 122.7 (+1.7) | 13.40 |
| 2023.05 | 155.6 | 159.2 | 137.4 | (124.7 projected, +2.0) | 10.67 |
| 2023.06 | 161.7 | 166.8 | 160.5 | (127.9 projected, +3.2) | 8.95 |
| 2023.07 | 176.4 | 182.2 | 159.1 | (128.3 projected, +0.4) | 8.15 |
| 2023.08 | 153.7 | 157.6 | 114.8 | (130.1 projected, +1.8) | 7.19 |
| 2023.09 | 154.4 | 156.0 | 133.6 | (133.5 projected, +3.4) | 14.26 |
| 2023.10 | 142.8 | 141.9 | 99.4 | (135.2 projected, +1.7) | 8.16 |
| 2023.11 | 142.4 (1) | 56.4 (2A) / 80.5 (2B) / 98.0 (2C) | (137.8 projected max SC25, +2.6) | (12.3) | |
| 2023.12 | (137.1 projected, -0.7) | ||||
| 2024.01 | (134.4 projected, -2.7) | ||||
| 2024.02 | (134.2 projected, -0.2) | ||||
| 2024.03 | (133.7 projected, -0.5) | ||||
| 2024.04 | (134.5 projected, +0.8) | ||||
| 2024.05 | (135.8 projected, +1.3) | ||||
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
Looking back 6 months, the 365d smoothed values for solar flux and all sunspot numbers with the exception of NOAA's, are all above their solar cycle 24 peak. The first peak of solar cycle 25 is forecast to be between July 7 and 10, 2023 (solar flux on July 7, ISN and STAR 1K and 2K all have that peak on July 9, while NOAA peaks on July 10). This is unlikely to be the final peak of SC25, however, there is a small probability that it is the actual sunspot and solar flux maximum.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
