Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on June 7, 2024 at 05:55 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 (May 1, 2024)
Solar cycle Solar cycles 23-25 (June 1, 2024) Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (April 5, 2007)
  Cycle 24-25 progress (June 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 (June 1, 2024) 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013
  Comparison of cycles 12-14, 16, 24-25 (June 1, 2024) 4th SSN Workshop, Locarno, 2014
  Solar polar fields vs. solar cycles (March 3, 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 June 6. The high latitude magnetometer at Andenes recorded quiet to unsettled 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 190.9 - decreasing 32.5 over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 161.67. In comparison SC24 peaked on June 28, 2014 at 145.50. Current SC25 peak: 161.67 on December 7, 2023). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 4 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 4.5). Three hour interval K indices: 22211101 (planetary), 22321412 (Boulder), 33221101 (Andenes).

The background x-ray flux is at the class C3 level (GOES 16).

At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 14 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 283) and in 10 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 166) SDO/HMI images.

Region 13697 [S19W45] decayed slowly and remained active producing a number of C and M flares.
Region 13698 [N21W56] was mostly quiet and stable.
Region 13701 [S07W41] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 13702 [N17E17] was quiet and stable.
Region 13703 [S08W22] displayed slow decay and was mostly quiet.
Region 13704 [S18E22] was quiet and stable.
Region 13706 [S12W08] decayed slowly and quietly.
New region 13707 [S15E59] rotated into view on June 5 and was numbered by SWPC the next day.
New region 13708 [S22E73] rotated into view on June 5 with SWPC numbering the region the next day.

Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted differently) by SWPC/USAF:
S9769 [N09E29] decayed slowly and quietly.
S9771 [N30E10] was quiet and stable.
New region S9777 [S17W16] emerged before noon, then decayed slowly.
New region S9778 [N20E40] was observed with tiny spots in an old plage area.
New region S9779 [S10E80] rotated into view with a few spots and has M class flare potential.

C2+ flares

Magnitude Peak time (UT) Location Source Recorded by Comment
C9.5 00:14 S10E90 S9779 GOES16  
C6.5 00:36   13703 GOES16  
C6.7 00:44   13695 GOES16  
C3.8 01:16   13697 GOES16  
C3.2 02:37   13695 GOES16  
C3.0 03:08   13697 GOES16  
C3.0 03:31   13695 GOES16  
C4.3 03:49   13697 GOES16  
C5.5 03:55   13697 GOES16  
C3.6 04:35   13695 GOES16 simultaneous flare in AR S9779
C6.3 04:57 N27W72 13695 GOES16  
C3.5 05:56   13697 GOES16  
C2.9 07:49   S9779 GOES16  
C3.4 08:00   13697 GOES16  
C8.1 08:50 S21W38 13697 GOES16  
C6.5 09:24   13708 GOES16  
C6.1 09:30   13697 GOES16  
C4.4 09:48   13697 GOES16  
C4.9 10:10 S20W35 13697 GOES16  
C4.4 14:19   13697 GOES16  
M6.1/2B 15:06 S20W41 13697 GOES16  
M1.1 16:07   S9779 GOES16  
C7.8 19:52   13695 GOES16  
C5.8 20:26   S9779 GOES16  
C8.7 20:41 S19W41 13697 GOES16  
C4.0 21:12   13697 GOES16  
C7.2 22:10   13697 GOES16 LDE

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

June 4-6: No obviously Earth directed CME 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 positive polarity northern hemisphere coronal hole (CH1224) rotated across the central meridian on June 4-6. A southern hemisphere negative polarity coronal hole (CH1225) will likely become Earth facing on June 10.

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 to fair.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be at quiet levels on June 7. June 8-10 could see quiet to active conditions to effects from CH1224.

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
13696 2024.05.25
2024.05.26
      N08W84          

location: N09W76

13695 2024.05.26
2024.05.26
      N26W84        

location: N28W80

13697 2024.05.27
2024.05.28
20 42 18 S17W46 0280 DKC DAC beta-gamma

location: S19W45

area: 0330

13698 2024.05.28
2024.05.30
11 18 10 N22W56 0120 DAI DAI

area: 0190

13699 2024.05.31
2024.05.31
2     N03W90 0010 BXO     rotated out of view
13701 2024.05.31
2024.06.01
7 14 8 S06W39 0050 DAO DAO

location: S07W41

area: 0070

13703 2024.05.31
2024.06.03
14 22 16 S07W25 0110 DAC DAC beta-gamma-delta

location: S08W22

area: 0380

S9760 2024.06.01       N11W14            
13702 2024.06.01
2024.06.02
1 6 2 N17E15 0030 HSX CSO

area: 0160

location: N17E17

S9762 2024.06.01       S14W06            
13705 2024.06.02
2024.06.03
      N21W86           location: N19W87
13704 2024.06.02
2024.06.03
1 6 2 S18E19 0030 HSX HAX area: 0050

location: S18E22

13706 2024.06.03
2024.06.04
  3   S12E01 0005   AXX location: S12W08
S9769 2024.06.03   4   N09E29 0005   BXO  
S9770 2024.06.04       N15W10            
S9771 2024.06.04   3 1 N30E10 0006   AXX  
S9772 2024.06.04       S05E14            
S9773 2024.06.05       S14W74          
S9774 2024.06.05       S27E39          
13707 2024.06.05
2024.06.06
2 12 6 S15E57 0040 CSO DRI area: 0060

location: S15E59

13708 2024.06.05
2024.06.06
1 2 1 S22E74 0100 HSX CSO area: 0120
S9777 2024.06.06   2   S17W16 0003   AXX    
S9778 2024.06.06   5   N20E40 0008   BXO    
S9779 2024.06.06   4 2 S10E80 0350   CKO    
Total spot count: 59 143 66  
Sunspot number: 149 283 166  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 104 191 114  (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): 164 156 133  

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  176.4 182.2 160.0 124.4 (-0.9) 8.15
2023.08  153.7 157.6 114.8 124.1 (-0.3) 7.19
2023.09  154.4 156.0 134.2 123.9 (-0.2) 14.26
2023.10  142.8 141.9 99.4 124.8 (+0.9) 8.16
2023.11 153.5 150.2 105.4 127.8 (+3.0) 12.20
2023.12 151.1 146.4 114.2 (128.7 projected, +0.9) 9.60
2024.01 164.6 159.3 123.0 (127.0 projected, -1.7) 5.46
2024.02 172.5 168.3 124.7 (126.2 projected, -0.8) 5.31
2024.03 154.4 152.9 104.9 (125.6 projected, -0.6) 11.03
2024.04 161.3 162.6 136.5 (125.6 projected, -0.0) 9.69
2024.05 187.8 191.9 171.7 (SC25 peak) (126.7 projected, +1.1) 23.6
(current
SC25 peak)
2024.06 188.7 (1)   38.5 (2A) / 192.3 (2B) / 185.6 (2C) (125.9 projected, -0.8) (5.5)
2024.07       (124.2 projected, -1.7)  
2024.08       (122.2 projected, -2.0)  
2024.09       (121.0 projected, -1.2)  
2024.10       (119.6 projected, -1.4)  
2024.11       (114.5 projected, -5.1)  
2024.12       (109.1 projected, -5.4)  

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 June 6, 2024

May 2024 easily became the month with the highest sunspot counts during solar cycle 25, and early June has seen no change in that pattern of many spot groups, some of which are large and complex. The next candidate for solar max is still uncertain, however, May 20-21, 2024 has all of the smoothed 365d sunspot numbers as well as the 365d smoothed solar flux signalling a peak on those days.

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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.