The geomagnetic field was at quiet to unsettled levels on August 18. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 297 and 387 km/sec, averaging 333 km/sec (-1km/sec compared to the previous day). Weak CIR effects, probably related to CH1312, were observed after 10h UT. The phi angle has been in a negative sector since 23h UT at ACE. Bz has been mostly near neutral and northwards resulting in only a weak disturbance so far. The high latitude magnetometer at Andenes recorded quiet to unsettled 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 113.8 - decreasing 31.2 over the previous solar rotation. The 365 day average solar flux at 1 AU was 174.25 (183 days ago). The 81 day average solar flux at 1 AU was 140.8 (41 days ago, this is 45.4% 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 6 (STAR Ap - based on the average of three hour interval ap indices: 5.6). Three hour interval K indices: 00122312 (planetary), 11132413 (Boulder), 00123332 (Andenes).
The background x-ray flux is at the class B7 level (GOES 19).
At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 10 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 169) and in 7 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 94) SDO/HMI images.
AR 14179 [S12W36] decayed slowly and quietly.
AR 14180 [S02W24] decayed slowly and quietly.
AR 14182 [N07E02] decayed slowly and quietly.
New
AR 14187 [S18E20] emerged on August 17 and developed further on
August 18 when it was numbered by SWPC.
New AR 14188 [S09E71] rotated into view on August 17 and received its
NOAA number the next day. It's not yet clear if there is another region
trailing this one, however, a long duration M1.1 event peaking at 04:37 UT
on August 19 had its origin in the vicinity of AR 14188 and close to the
southeast limb.
Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted
differently) by SWPC/USAF:
S11354 [S18E35] was quiet and stable.
S11356 [N18E23] was quiet and stable.
S11357 [S19W22] was quiet and stable.
S11358 [N13E40] was quiet and stable.
New AR S11360 [N07E61] emerged with tiny spots.
C2+ flares
| Magnitude | Peak time (UT) | Location | Source | Recorded by | Comment |
| C2.1 | 21:53 | 14188 | GOES18 |
August 16-18: 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 negative polarity trans equatorial coronal hole (CH1312) rotated across the central meridian on August 15-18.
The geomagnetic field is expected to be at quiet to active levels on August 19-21 due to effects associated with CH1312.
| 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 | ||||||||||
| 14171 | 2025.08.05 2025.08.06 |
1 | N18W91 | 0010 | HRX |
 |
was AR S11321 rotated out of view |
||||
| 14175 | 2025.08.07 2025.08.08 |
N12W76 |
 |
was AR S11325 location: N13W73 |
|||||||
| 14177 | 2025.08.07 2025.08.08 |
N05W74 |
 |
was AR S11326 location: N04W70 |
|||||||
| 14179 | 2025.08.09 2025.08.11 |
3 | S12W38 | 0004 | BXO |
 |
 |
was AR S11333 location: S12W36 |
|||
| 14180 | 2025.08.11 2025.08.12 |
6 | 17 | 6 | S02W25 | 0010 | BXO | BXI |
 |
 |
was AR S11337 area: 0030 location: S02W24 |
| 14182 | 2025.08.12 2025.08.13 |
1 | 13 | 4 | N08E02 | 0010 | AXX | BXO |
 |
 |
was AR S11340 location: N07E02 |
| S11341 | 2025.08.12 | N28W08 | |||||||||
| S11342 | 2025.08.12 | N31W58 | |||||||||
| 14186 | 2025.08.14 2025.08.15 |
2 | N06W91 | 0040 | DSO |
 |
was AR S11348 rotated out of view |
||||
| S11349 | 2025.08.14 | N33W18 | |||||||||
| S11350 | 2025.08.14 | S17E03 | |||||||||
| S11351 | 2025.08.14 | N05W51 | |||||||||
| S11353 | 2025.08.15 | N26W53 | |||||||||
| S11354 | 2025.08.16 | 5 | 2 | S19E35 | 0010 | AXX |
 |
 |
|||
| 14187 | 2025.08.17 2025.08.18 |
2 | 11 | 8 | S18E19 | 0010 | CRO | CRI |
 |
 |
was AR S11355 area: 0050 location S18E20 |
| S11356 | 2025.08.17 | 5 | 2 | N18E23 | 0015 | AXX |
 |
 |
|||
| S11357 | 2025.08.17 | 9 | 1 | S19W22 | 0015 | BXO |
 |
 |
|||
| S11358 | 2025.08.17 | 3 | N13E40 | 0005 | AXX |
 |
 |
||||
| 14188 | 2025.08.17 2025.08.18 |
1 | 1 | 1 | S09E72 | 0040 | HAX | HSX |
 |
 |
was AR S11359 location: S09E71 area: 0070 |
| S11360 | 2025.08.18 | 2 | N07E61 | 0002 | BXO |
 |
|||||
| Total spot count: | 13 | 69 | 24 | ||||||||
| Sunspot number: | 73 | 169 | 94 | (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions) | |||||||
| Weighted SN: | 29 | 77 | 32 | (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): | 80 | 93 | 75 | ||||||||
| 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) | 11.80 |
| 2025.08 | 140.7 (1) | 77.8 (2A) / 133.9 (2B) / 150.2 (2C) | (110.9 projected, -4.7) | (11.4) | |
| 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.
