The geomagnetic field was at quiet to active levels on August 3. A high speed stream most likely associated with CH1309 was observed reaching ACE after 18h UT. Prior to that solar wind density had been slowly increasing at SOHO. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 373 and 547 km/sec, averaging 434 km/sec (-39 km/sec compared to the previous day). The high latitude magnetometer at Andenes recorded quiet to active levels. The above 10 MeV proton flux was at background levels all day.
Solar flux density measured at 20h UT on 2.8 GHz was 146.3 - increasing 28.1 over the previous solar rotation. The 365 day average solar flux at 1 AU was 179.42 (183 days ago). The 81 day average solar flux at 1 AU was 138.2 (41 days ago, this is 43.7% of the total SC25 solar flux range from the max 81 day average peak on September 4, 2024 at 227.3 and an average 81 day flux of 69 at solar minimum). SC25 365d peak: 195.86 on October 13, 2024. The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 9 (STAR Ap - based on the average of three hour interval ap indices: 9.1). Three hour interval K indices: 21122342 (planetary), 22112332 (Boulder), 21122342 (Andenes).
The background x-ray flux is at the class C1 level (GOES 19).
At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 13 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 254) and in 8 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 148) SDO/HMI images.
AR 14155 [S08W77] decayed slowly and was mostly quiet.
AR 14161 [S13W17] decayed slowly and quietly.
AR 14164 [S21W29] was quiet and stable.
AR 14165 [N12E18] decayed slowly and was mostly quiet.
C1 flares: C1.4 @ 00:48 UT
AR 14166 [N24W75] decayed further and wad quiet.
AR 14167 [N11W50] gained a magnetic delta
configuration before noon, however, that lasted only for some hours. The
region decayed slowly and produced several C flares. C1 flares: C1.4 @
00:08, C1.7 @ 00:18, C1.4 @ 04:55, C1.2 @ 10:53, C1.6 @ 13:33 (simultaneous
flare in AR 14153), C1.5 @ 20:28, C1.4 @ 23:39 UT
AR 14168 [N05E17] displayed no major changes and still has two
significant magnetic delta configurations. Further M class flaring is
possible. C1 flares: C1.7 @ 01:19, C1.4 @ 04:36, C1.2 @ 05:48, C1.6 @ 06:30,
C1.6 @ 12:55, C1.1 @ 19:16, C1.6 @ 19:36, C1.3 @ 20:57 UT
Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted
differently) by SWPC/USAF:
S11306 [N30E45] was quiet and stable.
S11307 [N18E02] was quiet and stable.
S11309 [N09W23] developed slightly and was quiet.
S11310 [S18E12] was quiet and stable.
New AR S11316 [N22W21] emerged with tiny spots.
New AR S11317 [N22E83] rotated into view with a large spot. C1
flares: C1.6 @ 03:55, C1.2 @ 05:13 UT
AR 14153 behind the southwest
limb produced C1 flares: C1.1 @ 05:36, C1.8 @ 15:10 UT
A C1.8 flare at 07:21 UT was not assigned to an AR due to missing imagery.
C2+ flares
| Magnitude | Peak time (UT) | Location | Source | Recorded by | Comment |
| C2.5 | 02:11 | behind SW limb | 14153 | GOES18 | |
| C4.3 | 02:45 | 14168 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.3 | 08:21 | 14155 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.6 | 09:10 | N10W43 | 14167 | GOES18 | |
| C3.5 | 09:29 | 14167 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.6 | 13:47 | 14168 | GOES18 | ||
| M2.9/1B | 13:57 | N05E23 | 14168 | GOES18 | |
| C3.5 | 17:14 | 14153 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.3 | 19:54 | 14168 | GOES18 | ||
| C6.8 | 21:56 | 14157 | GOES18 |
August 1-3: No obviously Earth directed CMEs.
[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 recurrent trans equatorial negative polarity coronal hole (CH1309) was Earth facing on August 1. A recurrent positive polarity coronal hole (CH1310) will likely rotate across the central meridian on August 5-9.
The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to unsettled levels on August 4 due to effects from CH1309. Mostly quiet levels are likely on August 5-7. August 8-12 could see unsettled to minor storm levels due to effects from CH1310.
| 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 |
STAR | SWPC | STAR | Current | Previous | ||||||
| 2K | 1K | ||||||||||
| 14154 | 2025.07.22 2025.07.23 |
1 | S15W89 | 0060 | HSX |
 |
was AR S11279 rotated out of view |
||||
| 14157 | 2025.07.22 2025.07.24 |
1 | S21W79 | 0010 | HRX |
 |
was AR S11280 spotless location: S20W77 |
||||
| 14155 | 2025.07.23 2025.07.24 |
4 | 2 | S08W80 | 0010 | BXO | BXO |
 |
 |
was AR S11282 location: S08W77 area: 0004 |
|
| 14156 | 2025.07.23 | N12W80 |
was AR S11283 location: N12W72 |
||||||||
| 14160 | 2025.07.24 2025.07.26 |
S08W65 |
was AR S11286 location: S09W55 |
||||||||
| 14164 | 2025.07.26 2025.07.29 |
4 | S21W32 | 0005 | AXX |
 |
 |
was AR S11289 location: S21W29 |
|||
| 14161 | 2025.07.27 2025.07.27 |
4 | 13 | 8 | S12W15 | 0070 | CSO | CSO |
 |
 |
was AR S11291 area: 0130 location: S13W17 |
| S11297 | 2025.07.28 | N02W58 | |||||||||
| 14166 | 2025.07.29 2025.07.30 |
2 | N25W80 | 0003 | AXX |
 |
 |
was AR S11300 location: N24W75 |
|||
| 14165 | 2025.07.29 2025.07.30 |
4 | 12 | 4 | N12E16 | 0170 | CSO | CSO |
 |
 |
was AR S13101 area: 0230 |
| S11302 | 2025.07.30 | S19W16 | |||||||||
| 14167 | 2025.07.30 2025.07.31 |
19 | 39 | 24 | N10W52 | 0430 | DKI | EKI |
 |
 |
was AR S11303 area: 0960 location: N11W50 |
| S11304 | 2025.07.30 | N19W54 | |||||||||
| S11306 | 2025.07.31 | 2 | N30E45 | 0002 | AXX |
 |
 |
||||
| S11307 | 2025.07.31 | 2 | N18E02 | 0002 | AXX |
 |
 |
||||
| S11308 | 2025.07.31 | S02E26 | |||||||||
| S11309 | 2025.07.31 | 7 | 3 | N09W23 | 0020 | CRO |
 |
 |
|||
| S11310 | 2025.08.01 | 6 | 2 | S18E12 | 0010 | BXO |
 |
 |
|||
| 14168 | 2025.08.01 2025.08.02 |
15 | 32 | 25 | N05E15 | 0060 | DAI | DAC |
 |
 |
beta-gamma-delta was AR S11311 location: N05E17 area: 0290 |
| S11312 | 2025.08.01 | S09W31 | |||||||||
| S11313 | 2025.08.02 | N36W21 |
 |
||||||||
| S11314 | 2025.08.02 | N21W31 |
 |
||||||||
| S11315 | 2025.08.02 | S11E06 |
 |
||||||||
| S11316 | 2025.08.03 | 2 | 1 | N22W21 | 0005 | BXO |
 |
||||
| S11317 | 2025.08.03 | 1 | 1 | N22E83 | 0260 | HHX |
 |
||||
| Total spot count: | 48 | 124 | 68 | ||||||||
| Sunspot number: | 118 | 254 | 148 | (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions) | |||||||
| Weighted SN: | 81 | 162 | 106 | (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): | 130 | 140 | 118 | ||||||||
| Month | Average solar flux | International sunspot number (WDC-SILSO) |
Smoothed sunspot number (4) | Average
ap (3) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Measured | 1 AU | ||||
| 2024.02 | 172.5 | 168.3 | 123.0 | 136.9 (+5.7) | 5.31 |
| 2024.03 | 154.4 | 152.9 | 103.7 | 141.4 (+4.5) | 11.03 |
| 2024.04 | 161.3 | 162.6 | 137.0 | 144.5 (+3.1) | 9.69 |
| 2024.05 | 187.7 | 191.9 | 172.1 | 149.1 (+4.6) | 23.56 (SC25 peak) |
| 2024.06 | 184.3 | 190.2 | 164.1 | 152.8 (+3.7) | 10.24 |
| 2024.07 | 196.6 | 203.0 | 196.8 | 155.0 (+2.3) | 7.13 |
| 2024.08 | 246.1 (cycle peak) |
252.2 | 216.0 (SC25 peak) | 156.8 (+1.8) | 15.96 |
| 2024.09 | 195.7 | 197.8 | 141.1 | 159.4 (+1.6) | 15.36 |
| 2024.10 | 221.0 | 219.6 | 165.8 | 160.9 (+1.5) (SC25 solar max) | 18.99 |
| 2024.11 | 199.6 | 195.3 | 154.1 | 157.1 (-3.8) | 9.33 |
| 2024.12 | 197.3 | 191.2 | 154.6 | 151.3 (-5.8) | 8.42 |
| 2025.01 | 190.3 | 184.2 | 137.0 | 146.3 (-5.0) | 13.17 |
| 2025.02 | 184.2 | 179.7 | 155.7 | (139.4 projected, -6.9) | 14.42 |
| 2025.03 | 163.7 | 162.1 | 134.2 | (133.4 projected, -6.0) | 15.96 |
| 2025.04 | 162.5 | 163.6 | 140.6 | (129.3 projected, -4.1) | 17.62 |
| 2025.05 | 135.3 | 138.3 | 79.2 | (124.4 projected, -4.9) | 17.26 |
| 2025.06 | 131.3 | 135.4 | 116.3 | (119.6 projected, -4.8) | 21.43 |
| 2025.07 | 137.8 | 142.3 | 125.6 | (115.6 projected, -4.0) | 12.2 |
| 2025.08 | 146.1 (1) | 12.2 (2A) / 126.3 (2B) / 147.1 (2C) | (110.9 projected, -4.7) | (9.4) | |
| 2025.09 | (106.5 projected, -4.4) | ||||
| 2025.10 | (102.6 projected, -3.9) | ||||
| 2025.11 | (100.3 projected, -2.3) | ||||
| 2025.12 | (98.7 projected, -1.6) | ||||
| 2026.01 | (94.6 projected, -4.1) | ||||
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 27 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
Sunspot activity has been on a decreasing trend since September
2024 (using the average solar flux over 3 solar rotations as a proxy).
Compared to the peak of SC25 solar flux has been at a low level in both May
and June 2025. Taking a closer look at the 81 day (3 solar rotations)
average solar flux proxy, its peak was in early September 2024 and had on
May 12 decreased to less than half of the solar cycle flux range.
Subtracting the 81 day average of approximately 69 at solar cycle minimum
from all measurements, the SC25 range is 0 - 158.3.
All 365 day smoothed sunspot numbers peaked on October 11-12, 2024,
very likely making this the peak of SC25 (365 day smoothed peaks: STAR 1K: 236.1, STAR 2K: 364.3, NOAA SN: 156.0, ISN: 163.9). The 365d
smoothed solar flux peaked on October 13, 2024, just 1.7% below the SC23
peak, and 62.6% above the SC24 peak.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This report has been prepared by Jan Alvestad. It is based on the analysis of data from whichever 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.
