
The geomagnetic field was at quiet levels on June 21. 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 196.9 - increasing 44.8 over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 162.51. In comparison SC24 peaked on June 28, 2014 at 145.50. Current SC25 peak: 162.51 on December 22, 2023). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 4 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 3.5). Three hour interval K indices: 22100011 (planetary), 21011211 (Boulder), 31010123 (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: 313) and in 9 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 179) SDO/HMI images.
Region 13712 [S26W62] decayed slowly and was
mostly quiet. A major flare is
still possible.
Region 13713 [S14W50] became the largest spot group on the visible
solar disk. The leading penumbra has a magnetic delta and a major flare is
possible.
Region 13716 [N09W58] decayed slowly and was mostly quiet.
Region 13718 [N15W10] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 13719 [S14E39] was less active than in
the previous days. The leader penumbra became larger and symmetrical.
Region 13720 [S06E51] developed gaining spots, area and complexity. M
flares are possible.
New region 13721 [N25E77] rotated into view with a mature spot.
New region 13722 [S12E77] rotated into view with mature penumbrae.
Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted
differently) by SWPC/USAF:
S9806 [S08W32] decayed slowly and quietly.
S9808 [S08W53] decayed slowly and quietly.
S9815 [N14E48] decayed slowly and quietly.
S9817 [N21E68] was quiet and stable.
New region S9820 [N04E06] emerged with tiny
spots.
New region S9821 [S08E04] emerged with a tiny spot.
C2+ flares
| Magnitude | Peak time (UT) | Location | Source | Recorded by | Comment |
| C3.8 | 01:06 | 13716 | GOES16 | ||
| C4.3 | 02:06 | southeast limb | 13722 | GOES16 | |
| C5.7 | 02:32 | 13713 | GOES16 | ||
| C3.9 | 04:15 | 13712 | GOES16 | ||
| C4.3 | 04:32 | 13713 | GOES16 | ||
| C5.4 | 04:38 | 13716 | GOES16 | ||
| C5.3 | 05:07 | 13712 | GOES16 | simultaneous flare in AR 13716 | |
| C4.9 | 06:09 | 13720 | GOES16 | ||
| C5.1 | 06:33 | 13713 | GOES16 | ||
| C4.7 | 06:42 | 13712 | GOES16 | ||
| C4.6 | 06:52 | 13713 | GOES16 | ||
| C4.5 | 06:58 | 13720 | GOES16 | ||
| C3.3 | 07:57 | 13716 | GOES16 | ||
| C2.9 | 08:17 | 13713 | GOES16 | ||
| C3.9 | 11:10 | 13713 | GOES16 | ||
| C3.1 | 12:15 | 13716 | GOES16 | ||
| C4.2 | 12:40 | N11W50 | 13716 | GOES16 | |
| C3.1 | 13:18 | 13720 | GOES16 | simultaneous flare in AR 13713 | |
| C2.8 | 13:51 | 13713 | GOES16 | ||
| C3.6 | 14:08 | 13722 | GOES16 | ||
| C3.6 | 14:17 | 13720 | GOES16 | ||
| C3.7 | 14:23 | 13722 | GOES16 | ||
| C4.1 | 14:47 | behind southeast limb | GOES16 | ||
| C4.6 | 14:58 | 13712 | GOES16 | ||
| C4.6 | 15:57 | S9808 | GOES16 | ||
| C4.7 | 16:42 | behind southeast limb | GOES16 | ||
| C5.1 | 18:29 | 13720 | GOES16 | ||
| C3.4 | 19:18 | 13720 | GOES16 | ||
| C2.8 | 20:25 | 13713 | GOES16 | ||
| C2.8 | 21:28 | 13713 | GOES16 | ||
| C3.6 | 22:39 | behind southeast limb | GOES16 | ||
| C4.1 | 23:17 | 13720 | GOES16 | ||
| C4.0 | 23:29 | S9808 | GOES16 | simultaneous flare in AR 13713 | |
| C6.7 | 23:50 | behind southeast limb | GOES16 | strong type II radio sweep |
June 19-21: No obviously Earth directed CMEs 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 negative polarity northern hemisphere coronal hole (CH1228) rotated across the central meridian on June 18.
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.
The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to active on June 22-23 due to possible effects from CH1228. Quiet conditions are likely on June 24.
| 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 | ||||||||||
| 13715 | 2024.06.11 2024.06.12 |
N17W77 | location: N18W79 | ||||||||
| 13712 | 2024.06.11 2024.06.12 |
9 | 19 | 10 | S26W65 | 0750 | EKC | FKC |
![]() |
![]() |
area: 1300 location: S26W62 |
| 13713 | 2024.06.11 2024.06.12 |
24 | 45 | 24 | S14W53 | 0950 | EKC | EKC |
![]() |
![]() |
beta-gamma-delta location: S14W50 area: 1520 |
| 13716 | 2024.06.12 | 14 | 33 | 16 | N10W59 | 0500 | EKC | EKC |
![]() |
![]() |
beta-gamma-delta area: 0670 location: N09W58 |
| S9802 | 2024.06.15 | S32W26 | |||||||||
| S9804 | 2024.06.16 | N17W43 | |||||||||
| S9805 | 2024.06.16 | S11E02 | |||||||||
| S9806 | 2024.06.17 | 3 | S08W32 | 0007 | AXX |
![]() |
![]() |
||||
| S9808 | 2024.06.18 | 4 | S08W53 | 0006 | BXO |
![]() |
![]() |
||||
| 13718 | 2024.06.18 2024.06.19 |
3 | N12W13 | 0005 | AXX |
![]() |
![]() |
location: N15W10 | |||
| S9812 | 2024.06.18 | N27W16 | |||||||||
| 13719 | 2024.06.19 2024.06.19 |
5 | 20 | 13 | S13E41 | 0090 | DAO | EHO |
![]() |
![]() |
area: 0360 location: S14E39 |
| 13720 | 2024.06.19 2024.06.19 |
8 | 37 | 21 | S05E49 | 0080 | DAO | DAI |
![]() |
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beta-gamma area: 0220 location: S06E51 |
| S9815 | 2024.06.19 | 1 | N14E48 | 0001 | AXX |
![]() |
![]() |
||||
| S9816 | 2024.06.20 | S17W04 |
![]() |
||||||||
| S9817 | 2024.06.20 | 1 | N21E68 | 0001 | AXX |
![]() |
![]() |
||||
| 13721 | 2024.06.21 2024.06.21 |
1 | 1 | 1 | N27E59 | 0020 | HSX | HSX |
![]() |
was AR S9818 SWPC location is way off area: 0160 location: S25E77 |
|
| 13722 | 2024.06.21 2024.06.21 |
2 | 2 | 2 | S09E59 | 0030 | DSO | HSX |
![]() |
was AR S9819 SWPC location is way off area: 0320 location: S12E77 |
|
| S9820 | 2024.06.21 | 3 | 1 | N04E06 | 0007 | BXO |
![]() |
||||
| S9821 | 2024.06.21 | 1 | 1 | S08W32 | 0002 | AXX |
![]() |
||||
| Total spot count: | 63 | 173 | 89 | ||||||||
| Sunspot number: | 133 | 313 | 179 | (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions) | |||||||
| Weighted SN: | 113 | 228 | 144 | (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): | 146 | 172 | 143 | ||||||||
| 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 | 187.7 (cycle peak) |
191.9 | 171.7 (SC25 peak) | (126.7 projected, +1.1) | 23.56 (current SC25 peak) |
| 2024.06 | 182.9 (1) | 108.9 (2A) / 155.6 (2B) / 154.8 (2C) | (125.9 projected, -0.8) | (8.6) | |
| 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

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.