Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on July 12, 2024 at 05:15 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 3, 2024)
Solar cycle Solar cycles 23-25 (July 1, 2024) Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (April 5, 2007)
  Cycle 24-25 progress (July 1, 2024) 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, 2024) 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013
  Comparison of cycles 12-14, 16, 24-25 (July 1, 2024) 4th SSN Workshop, Locarno, 2014
  Solar polar fields vs. solar cycles (June 17, 2024) 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
Calculating the Strength of Solar Cycle 25 Using 365-day Smoothing

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was at quiet levels on July 11. The high latitude magnetometer at Andenes recorded quiet to active levels. The above 10 MeV proton flux was at background levels at the end of the day.

Solar flux density measured at 20h UT on 2.8 GHz was 205.0 - increasing 36.0 over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 163.29. In comparison SC24 peaked on June 28, 2014 at 145.50. Current SC25 peak: 163.32 on January 7, 2024). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 5 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 5.1). Three hour interval K indices: 21111112 (planetary), ******** (Boulder), 42212223 (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 16 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 419) and in 14 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 267) SDO/HMI images.

AR 13736 [S20W40] decayed slowly and quietly.
AR 13738 [S09W14] gained spots and was less active compared to the previous days. There are still magnetic deltas and a chance of a major flare. C1 flares: C1.9 @ 21:28, C1.9 @ 22:31 UT
AR 13740 [S17W40] decayed slowly and quietly.
AR 13741 [N10E07] was quiet and stable.
AR 13742 [S24E45] decayed slowly and was mostly quiet.
AR 13743 [S08E38] gained spots and may be capable of producing a minor M class flare.
AR 13744 [N15E53] was quiet and stable.
AR 13745 [S18E43] was mostly quiet and stable.
New AR 13746 [N21W23] emerged on July 10 and decayed on July 11 as it was numbered by SWPC.

Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted differently) by SWPC/USAF:
S9875 [S13W27] developed as new flux emerged.
S9884 [N17W04] was quiet and stable.
S9885 [S09W01] was quiet and stable.
S9886 [S21E01] was quiet and stable.
S9888 [N12E24] was quiet and stable.
S9891 [N14E70] was quiet and stable.
S9892 [N07E38] was quiet and stable.

A C1.9 flare was recorded at 23:43 UT from a location at the southeast limb.

C2+ flares

Magnitude Peak time (UT) Location Source Recorded by Comment
C2.9 01:06   13738 GOES16  
C3.6 01:11   13738 GOES16  
C4.6 01:17   13738 GOES16  
C3.6 01:42   13743 GOES16  
C8.6 02:29   13738 GOES16  
C8.6 02:45   13738 GOES16  
C6.2 03:40   13745 GOES16  
M1.2 04:17 S20E56 (SDO/AIA) 13745 GOES16  
M1.3 04:23   13738 GOES16  
M1.2 04:32   13738 GOES16  
C9.7/1N 06:11 S08E09 13738 GOES16  
M1.2 06:25   13738 GOES16  
C3.4 07:39   13738 GOES16  
C3.0 09:43   S9875 GOES16  
C3.0 09:49   13738 GOES16  
C2.3 10:57   13738 GOES16  
C2.6 11:37 S10W11 13738 GOES16  
C2.9 12:39   13738 GOES16  
C2.4 13:59   13738 GOES16  
C3.4 14:22   13742 GOES16  
C2.9 14:32   13738 GOES16  
C2.0 14:50   13738 GOES16  
C4.0/1N 15:54 S13W16 13738 GOES16  
C2.3 17:00   13738 GOES16  
C2.3 17:06   13738 GOES16  
C2.9 17:25 S04W08 13738 GOES16  
C2.5 17:51   13738 GOES16  
C2.1 19:20   13738 GOES16  
C2.4 20:05   13738 GOES16  

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

July 9-11: No obviously Earth directed CMEs 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 well defined positive polarity northern hemisphere coronal hole (CH1231) will rotate across the central meridian on July 9-11.

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 to unsettled on July 11 due to potential effects associated with CH1230. Quiet to active conditions are likely on July 12-13 due to effects from CH1231.

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
13735 2024.06.29
2024.06.29
      N17W89            
13736 2024.07.02
2024.07.03
2 10 3 S20W41 0050 HSX CAO location: S20W40
S9859 2024.07.03       S27W37            
13739 2024.07.04
2024.07.06
      N04W85         location: N03W87
13738 2024.07.04
2024.07.05
67 98 62 S08W13 0940 FKC FKC beta-gamma-delta

area: 1100

location: S09W14

13740 2024.07.04
2024.07.06
2 3   S18W75 0010 BXO BXO

location: S17W70

S9870 2024.07.06       S13W47          
S9872 2024.07.06       S07W28            
13741 2024.07.07
2024.07.07
  7 2 N09E05 0010   BXO location: N10E07
13742 2024.07.07
2024.07.09
1 22 11 S23E29 0010 AXX DSO area: 0250

location: S24E45

SWPC split off the trailing spot section into AR 13747 on 2024.07.11
There's unfortunately no obvious reason for this split

The original interpretation will not be changed as of now

S9875 2024.07.07   8 3 S13W27 0015   BXO  
S9876 2024.07.07       N21W58            
S9877 2024.07.07       S24W44            
13743 2024.07.08
2024.07.09
13 40 18 S09E34 0140 DAI DAI area: 0280

location: S08E38

S9880 2024.07.08       N09W39            
13745 2024.07.08
2024.07.10
3 9 3 S17E44 0020 DRO DRO area: 0040

location: S18E43

S9882 2024.07.08       S11W40            
13744 2024.07.09
2024.07.09
6 14 6 N16E51 0160 DAO DAO

area: 0270

location: N15E53

S9884 2024.07.09   8 4 N17W04 0020   BXO  
S9885 2024.07.09   12 5 S09W01 0025   BXO  
S9886 2024.07.09   4 2 S21E01 0006   AXX  
S9888 2024.07.10   8 2 N12E29 0012   AXX  
13746 2024.07.10
2024.07.11
2 1   N23W23 0010 BXO AXX area: 0001

location: N21W23

S9890 2024.07.10       S46W07          
S9891 2024.07.10   8 4 N14E70 0025   DRI  
S9892 2024.07.10   7 2 N07E38 0013   BXO  
S9893 2024.07.10       N40E19          
13747 2024.07.11 2     S24E44 0100 HSX       AR 13747 is the trailing spot section of AR 13742
Total spot count: 98 259 127  
Sunspot number: 188 419 267  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 131 295 163  (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): 207 230 214  

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
2022.10 133.5 132.7 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
2023.03 157.2 155.6 123.3 121.1 (+3.3) 14.42
2023.04 145.4 146.4 97.6 122.9 (+1.8) 13.40
2023.05 155.6 159.2 137.4 124.2 (+1.3) 10.67
2023.06 161.7 166.8 160.5 125.3 (+1.1) 8.95
2023.07  176.4 182.2 160.0 124.6 (-0.7) 8.15
2023.08  153.7 157.6 114.8 124.3 (-0.3) 7.19
2023.09  154.4 156.0 134.2 124.0 (-0.3) 14.26
2023.10  142.8 141.9 99.4 124.8 (+0.8) 8.16
2023.11 153.5 150.2 105.4 127.8 (+3.0) 12.20
2023.12 151.1 146.4 114.2 129.4 (+1.6) 9.60
2024.01 164.6 159.3 126.0 (128.9 projected, -0.5) 5.46
2024.02 172.5 168.3 123.0 (129.4 projected, +0.5) 5.31
2024.03 154.4 152.9 103.7 (130.3 projected, +0.9) 11.03
2024.04 161.3 162.6 136.5 (131.0 projected, +0.7) 9.69
2024.05 187.7
(cycle peak)
191.9 171.7 (SC25 peak) (133.2 projected, +2.2) 23.56
(SC25 peak)
2024.06 184.3 190.2 164.2 (134.9 projected, +1.7) 10.24
2024.07 176.6 (1)   52.0 (2A) / 146.5 (2B) / 164.9 (2C) (134.7 projected, -0.2) (5.7)
2024.08       (134.1 projected, -0.6)  
2024.09       (134.4 projected, +0.1)  
2024.10       (134.3 projected, -0.1)  
2024.11       (132.3 projected, -2.0)  
2024.12       (128.0 projected, -4.3)  
2025.01       (124.0 projected, -4.0)  

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

Update on the progress of solar cycle 25 as of July 5, 2024

Sunspot counts in June 2024 were almost at the level of May 2024 and the second highest month during solar cycle 25. Looking at the projected activity for the remainder of this year, solar max now looks likely to occur between May and October 2024. A big decrease in sunspot formation in July 2024 and over the next months could change the projected maximum to earlier in 2024 or even to December 2023.

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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.