Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on June 27, 2024 at 03:15 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 (June 9, 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 (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 to unsettled levels on June 26. 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 181.4 - increasing 8.5 over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 162.99. In comparison SC24 peaked on June 28, 2014 at 145.50. Current SC25 peak: 162.99 on December 27, 2023). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 8 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 7.6). Three hour interval K indices: 11232321 (planetary), 11333421 (Boulder), 12233333 (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 15 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 331) and in 13 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 211) SDO/HMI images.

Region 13719 [S16W28] has weak polarity intermixing as many tiny positive polarity spots have emerged around the large negative polarity leader spot.
Region 13720 [S06W14] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 13721 [N25E12] was quiet and stable.
Region 13722 [S13E10] was quiet and stable.
Region 13723 [S21E35] decayed further. The leading spot section was split off into AR S9833.
Region 13725 [N23E00] was quiet and stable.
Region 13726 [N06E26] was quiet and stable.
Region 13727 [S18E47] was the most active region on the visible disk producing many C flares. C1 flares: C1.7 @ 13:04, C1.8 @ 23:19 UT
Region 13728 [S27E44] produced the largest flare of the day and was otherwise mostly quiet and stable.
New region 13729 [S04E70] rotated into view on June 25 and was numbered the next day by SWPC.

Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted differently) by SWPC/USAF:
S9815 [N16W19] was quiet and stable.
S9830 [S04E50] was quiet and stable.
New region S9833 [S18E22] was split off from AR 13723.
New region S9834 [S17E77] rotated into view with a small spot.
New region S9835 [N51W05] emerged with a tiny spot at a high latitude.

C2+ flares

Magnitude Peak time (UT) Location Source Recorded by Comment
C4.7 00:12   13727 GOES16  
C2.2 03:03   13728 GOES16  
C2.5 03:46   13727 GOES16  
C2.2 04:01   13727 GOES16  
C2.2 04:22   13728 GOES16  
C2.3 04:56   13727 GOES16  
C2.9 05:39   13727 GOES16  
C3.3 06:00   13727 GOES16  
C2.2 07:19   13727 GOES16  
C2.1 11:29   13720 GOES16  
C6.2 15:30 S26E45 13728 GOES16 LDE. Attributed to AR 13723 by SWPC
C2.6 16:50   13719 GOES16  
C2.1 21:39   13727 GOES16  
C2.1 23:59   13723 GOES16  

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

June 24-26: No obviously Earth directed CMEs observed. A large filament eruption in the southwestern quadrant late on June 24 was associated with a CME. If there are any Earth directed components a weak disturbance will be possible on June 28.

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]

No obvious coronal holes are currently in or near Earth facing positions.

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 to fair.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to unsettled on June 27-29.

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
13718 2024.06.18
2024.06.19
      N12W83           location: N17W75
13719 2024.06.19
2024.06.19
7 21 12 S15W25 0170 CSO DHO

area: 0370

location: S16W28

13720 2024.06.19
2024.06.19
18 24 14 S06W16 0130 DAI DAO

location: S06W14

S9815 2024.06.19   6 1 N16W19 0012   BXO  
13725 2024.06.20
2024.06.23
  13 3 N18W01 0020   BXO location: N23E00
13721 2024.06.21
2024.06.21
2 14 5 N25E11 0100 HAX CAO area: 0150

location: N25E12

13722 2024.06.21
2024.06.21
1 11 5 S12E09 0060 HSX CSO area: 0260

location: S13E10

S9820 2024.06.21       N04W59            
13723 2024.06.22
2024.06.23
7 24 11 S19E30 0170 FAI DAI beta-gamma-delta

area: 0110

location: S21E35

split off into AR S9833

13726 2024.06.22
2024.06.23
  7   S04E20 0012   BXO location: S06E26
13724 2024.06.23 1     S14E22 0050 HSX       SWPC split this off from AR 13722
S9824 2024.06.23       N26W47          
13728 2024.06.23
2024.06.25
2 7 4 S27E42 0010 BXO CRO area: 0025

location: S27E44

S9826 2024.06.23       N08W47            
13727 2024.06.24
2024.06.25
3 22 10 S18E46 0100 CSO CHI area: 0380

location: S18E47

S9830 2024.06.24   2 1 S04E50 0005   AXX  
13729 2024.06.25
2024.06.26
4 11 7 S03E65 0060 DSO ESI location: S04E70

area: 0360

S9832 2024.06.25       N06E06          
S9833 2024.06.26   17 7 S18E22 0090   DRI   beta-gamma
S9834 2024.06.26   1 1 S17E77 0010   HRX    
S9835 2024.06.26   1   N51W05 0001   AXX    
Total spot count: 45 181 81  
Sunspot number: 135 331 211  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 85 235 135  (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): 149 182 169  

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
2024.05 187.7
(cycle peak)
191.9 171.7 (SC25 peak) (126.7 projected, +1.1) 23.56
(current
SC25 peak)
2024.06 184.9(1)   132.9 (2A) / 153.3 (2B) / 157.7 (2C) (125.9 projected, -0.8) (8.0)
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.