Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on July 20, 2025 at 08:25 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 (July 1, 2025)
Solar cycle Solar cycles 23-25 (July 1, 2025) Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (April 5, 2007)
  Cycle 24-25 progress (July 1, 2025) Noon SDO sunspot count 1K image / 4K (*)
  Solar cycles 1-24 (August 1, 2020) POES auroral activity level [October 2009 - December 2012]
  Comparison of cycles 21-25 (July 1, 2025) 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013
  Comparison of cycles 12-14, 16, 24-25 (July 1, 2025) 4th SSN Workshop, Locarno, 2014
  Solar polar fields vs. solar cycles (April 21, 2025) Cycle 25 spots (final update December 25, 2019)
  Solar cycles 24-25 transition using 365d smoothing  

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was at quiet levels on July 19 under the waning influence of effects associated with CH1306. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 418 and 570 km/sec, averaging 490 km/sec (-63 km/sec compared to the previous day). 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 152.6 - increasing 27.8 over the previous solar rotation. The 365 day average solar flux at 1 AU was 181.90 (183 days ago). The 81 day average solar flux at 1 AU was 136.9 (41 days ago, this is 42.8% 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 mean of three hour interval ap indices: 5.6). Three hour interval K indices: 12121221 (planetary), 12232322 (Boulder), 23223332 (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 18 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 336) and in 16 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 244) SDO/HMI images.

AR 14136 [N19W61] decayed further and lost the leader spots. C1 flares: C1.8 @ 06:28 UT
AR 14139 [N21W80] was mostly quiet and stable. C1 flares: C1.3 @ 19:15 UT
AR 14140 [S12W34] was quiet and stable.
AR 14142 [N02W23] decayed slowly and was mostly quiet. C1 flares: C1.9 @ 10:49 UT
AR 14143 [N24W50] produced several C flares. C1 flares: C1.7 @ 00:15, C1.5 @ 21:14, C1.6 @ 21:53 UT
AR 14144 [S16E10] was quiet and stable.
AR 14145 [S24W32] decayed slowly and quietly.
AR 14147 [N07E17] was quiet and stable.
AR 14148 [S08W45] decayed slowly and quietly.
New AR 14149 [N17E71] rotated into view on July 18 and was numbered the next day by SWPC. C1 flares: C1.9 @ 10:10, C1.9 @ 11:05, C1.9 @ 16:38, C1.5 @ 21:07, C1.6 @ 22:10 UT
New AR 14150 [S14E67] rotated into view on July 18 and received its NOAA number the following day.

Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted differently) by SWPC/USAF:
S11257 [N18W44] was quiet and stable.
S11263 [N08E38] reemerged with tiny spots.
S11265 [N08W49] decayed slowly and quietly.
New AR S11270 [S20E70] rotated into view with tiny spots.
New AR S11271 [N10W08] emerged with tiny spots.
New AR S11272 [N13E19] emerged with tiny spots.
New AR S11273 [N26W22] was observed with tiny spots in an old plage area.

AR 14135 behind the southwest limb produced a C1.4 flare at 19:51 UT

C2+ flares

Magnitude Peak time (UT) Location Source Recorded by Comment
C2.2 00:48   14140 GOES18  
C2.1 02:13   14143 GOES18  
C2.3 03:19   14136 GOES18  
C2.4 03:27   14150 GOES18  
C2.1 03:50   14150 GOES18  
C2.6 07:14     GOES18  
C2.0 08:16   14149 GOES18  
C3.3 09:07   14149 GOES18  
C2.4 11:38   14135 GOES18  
C2.0 17:05   14149 GOES18  
C4.1 22:20 N24W47 14143 GOES18  
C3.4 22:26   14143 GOES18  
C4.4 23:11 behind southwest limb 14135 GOES18 simultaneous event in AR 14143
C2.7 23:50   14149 GOES18 simultaneous event in AR 14143

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

July 17-19: No obviously Earth directed CMEs.

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 recurrent negative polarity trans equatorial coronal hole (CH1307) will rotate across the central meridian on July 19-21.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be at quiet levels on July 20-21. Quiet to minor storm levels are possible on July 22-24 due to effects associated with CH1307.

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
STAR SWPC STAR Current Previous
2K 1K
14136 2025.07.08
2025.07.09
5 15 7 N21W62 0260 DKC DKO

was AR S11232

location: N19W61

area: 0420

14140 2025.07.10
2025.07.11
  8 4 S14W36 0020   BXO

 

was AR S11242

location: S12W34

14139 2025.07.11
2025.07.11
4 4 4 N22W80 0220 DSO DKO

was AR S11243

area: 0430

location: N21W80

S11251 2025.07.13       S09W54            
14142 2025.07.13
2025.07.14
18 33 17 N03W20 0180 DAI EAO

was AR S11252

area: 0200

location: N02W23

14143 2025.07.14
2025.07.14
10 22 14 N25W51 0270 DKI EKO beta-gamma

was AR S11254

area: 0770

location: N24W50

14144 2025.07.14
2025.07.15
1 11 5 S15E08 0020 HRX CRO was AR S11255

area: 0030

14147 2025.07.14
2025.07.16
  5 3 N06E13 0015   AXX was AR S11256

location: N07E17

S11257 2025.07.14   2   N18W44 0003   AXX  
14145 2025.07.14
2025.07.15
5 8 4 S24W33 0010 BXO BXO was AR S11258

location: S24W32

14148 2025.07.15
2025.07.17
1 4 2 S08W45 0020 HRX HRX was AR S11259
S11260 2025.07.15       S13E07            
14146 2025.07.16       N20W72           apparently a misinterpretation by SWPC. They split off the leader spot of AR 14136 on 2025.07.16. There was no obvious reason for this split
S11262 2025.07.16       N10W07            
S11263 2025.07.17   6 3 N08E38 0010   AXX    
S11265 2025.07.18   1   N08W49 0002   AXX  
S11266 2025.07.18       N20W27          
14150 2025.07.18
2025.07.19
2 7 4 S15E65 0080 CAO DAO was AR S11267

location: S14E67

area: 0150

14149 2025.07.18
2025.07.19
3 7 4 N17E70 0150 DSO DKO was AR S11268

location: N17E71

area: 0490

S11270 2025.07.19   4 1 S20E70 0006   BXO    
S11271 2025.07.19   11 6 N10W08 0030   BXI    
S11272 2025.07.19   3 3 N13E19 0010   CRO    
S11273 2025.07.19   5 3 N26W22 0012   BXO    
Total spot count: 49 156 84  
Sunspot number: 139 336 244  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 95 215 143  (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): 153 185 195  

Monthly solar cycle data

Month Average solar flux International sunspot number
(WDC-SILSO)
Smoothed sunspot number (4) Average ap
(3)
Measured 1 AU
2024.01 164.6 159.3 126.0 131.2 (+1.7) 5.46
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 (146.1 projected, -5.2) 13.17
2025.02  184.2 179.7 155.7 (138.3 projected, -7.8) 14.42
2025.03 163.7 162.1 134.2 (131.9 projected, -6.4) 15.96
2025.04 162.5 163.6 140.6 (127.3 projected, -4.6) 17.62
2025.05  135.3 138.3 79.2 (122.0 projected, -5.3) 17.26
2025.06 131.3 135.4 116.3 (117.1 projected, -4.9) 21.43
2025.07 131.7 (1)   72.4 (2A) / 118.2 (2B) / 136.8 (2C) (112.9 projected, -4.2) (13.7)
2025.08       (108.1 projected, -4.8)  
2025.09       (103.8 projected, -4.3)  
2025.10       (99.9 projected, -3.9)  
2025.11       (97.6 projected, -2.3)  
2025.12       (96.0 projected, -1.6)  

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

Solar cycles 24-25

Smoothed SF and sunspot numbers

Update on the progress of solar cycle 25 as of June 23, 2025

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.

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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.