Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on June 2, 2025 at 05:15 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 1, 2025)
Solar cycle Solar cycles 23-25 (June 1, 2025) Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (April 5, 2007)
  Cycle 24-25 progress (June 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 (June 1, 2025) 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013
  Comparison of cycles 12-14, 16, 24-25 (June 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 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 active to very severe storm levels on June 1 under the influence of strong CME effects from the May 30/31 CME. The CME was observed arriving at ACE at 05:23 UT as a strong solar wind shock. Solar wind speed at SOHO/ACE ranged between 662 and 1129 km/sec, averaging 935 km/sec (+260 km/sec compared to the previous day). The high latitude magnetometer at Andenes recorded active to very severe storm levels. The above 10 MeV proton flux peaked at 666 pfu at 09:05 UT decreasing to 7 pfu at the end of the UT day.

Solar flux density measured at 20h UT on 2.8 GHz was 150.3 - decreasing 8.3 over the previous solar rotation. The 365 day average solar flux at 1 AU was 189.78 (183 days ago). SC25 peak: 195.86 on October 13, 2024 (subtracting a baseline solar flux level of 65, this is +62.6% compared to the SC24 peak and -1.7% compared to the SC23 peak). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 101 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 100.9). Three hour interval K indices: 56878574 (planetary), 56765563 (Boulder), 68887455 (Andenes).

The background x-ray flux is at the class B8 level (GOES 19).

At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 7 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 199) and in 6 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 127) SDO/HMI images.

AR 14096 [N07W74] was quiet and stable.
AR 14099 [S13W23] regained a small magnetic delta configuration, however, most of the positive polarity spots disappeared as the region continued to decay. C1 flares: C1.7 @ 00:35, C1.6 @ 00:44, C1.7 @ 01:25, C1.4 @ 01:35, C1.5 @ 03:04, C1.2 @ 11:35, C1.4 @ 19:24 UT
AR 14100 [N09W13] decayed slowly producing mostly low level C flares. Another M flare is still possible. C1 flares: C1.5 @ 00:57, C1.5 @ 04:25, C1.9 @ 04:30, C1.8 @ 05:45, C1.2 @ 07:25, C1.2 @ 09:10, C1.1 @ 23:27, C1.0 @ 23:37 UT
AR 14101 [N04W30] decayed slowly and quietly.
AR 14104 [N06E15] decayed slowly and quietly.

Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted differently) by SWPC/USAF:
New region S11115 [S09E50] emerged with tiny spots.
New region S11116 [N11E75] rotated into view with a tiny spot. C1 flares: C1.2 @ 15:35 UT

C2+ flares

Magnitude Peak time (UT) Location Source Recorded by Comment
C4.0 00:18   14099 GOES18  
C2.0 04:35   14100 GOES18  
C8.9/1B 14:41 N10W15 14100 GOES18  
C3.8 16:22 N10W14 14100 GOES18  

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

June 1: No obviously Earth directed CMEs.
May 30/31: An asymmetric full halo CME was observed during and after the long duration M8.2 event in AR 14100. The CME reached Earth before 06 UT on June 1.

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 negative polarity southern hemisphere coronal hole (CH1299) will be Earth facing on June 2-4, however, CH1299 may be too far to the south to cause any geomagnetic effects.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be at unsettled to minor storm levels June 2 due to CME effects. Quiet to unsettled levels are likely on June 3-4.

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
14097 2025.05.20
2025.05.22
      S14W78          

was AR S11088

14096 2025.05.20
2025.05.21
1 1 1 N05W76 0030 HSX HSX was AR S11089

area: 0080

location: N07W74

14099 2025.05.24 11 32 17 S14W24 0250 DKI DKC

beta-delta

was AR S11093

area: 0360

location: S13W23

14102 2025.05.24
2025.05.27
      S22W68           was AR S11094

location: S20W63

14100 2025.05.25
2025.05.26
27 67 38 N10W15 0430 EKC FAC beta-gamma-delta

was AR S11095

location: N09W13

area: 0600

S11097 2025.05.25       S13W55            
14101 2025.05.26
2025.05.27
5 11 4 N04W28 0030 DAO CAO

was AR S11098

area: 0060

location: N04W30

S11099 2025.05.26       N13W28            
14103 2025.05.27
2025.05.28
      S17W58           was AR S11101

location: S17W54

S11103 2025.05.28       S08W22          
14104 2025.05.29
2025.05.30
3 15 6 N06E15 0040 DAO DAO

was AR S11107

area: 0090

S11108 2025.05.29       S19W40          
S11111 2025.05.30       N15W48            
S11112 2025.05.30       S23W07            
S11113 2025.05.31       S09E36          
S11114 2025.05.31       N11E53          
S11115 2025.06.01   2 1 S09E50 0006   BXO    
S11116 2025.06.01   1   N11E75 0002   AXX    
Total spot count: 47 129 67  
Sunspot number: 97 199 127  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 82 159 97  (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): 107 109 102  

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
2024.10 221.0 219.6 165.8 160.8 (+1.4) (SC25 solar max) 18.99
2024.11 199.6 195.3 154.1 157.0 (-3.8) 9.33
2024.12 197.3 191.2 154.6 (150.7 projected, -6.3) 8.42
2025.01 190.3 184.2 137.0 (144.2 projected, -6.5) 13.17
2025.02  184.2 179.7 154.6 (135.6 projected, -8.6) 14.42
2025.03 163.7 162.1 134.2 (129.2 projected, -6.4) 15.96
2025.04 162.5 163.6 140.6 (124.6 projected, -4.6) 17.62
2025.05  135.3 138.3 79.2 (119.3 projected, -5.3) 16.9
2025.06 150.3 (1)   3.2 (2A) / 97 (2B) / 105.9 (2C) (114.4 projected, -4.9) (100.9)
2025.07       (110.2 projected, -4.2)  
2025.08       (105.5 projected, -4.7)  
2025.09       (101.2 projected, -4.3)  
2025.10       (97.3 projected, -3.9)  
2025.11       (95.0 projected, -2.3)  

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 May 13, 2025

Sunspot activity has been on a slowly decreasing trend since September 2024 (using the average solar flux over 3 solar rotations as a proxy). The decline has become more obvious during the first half of May 2025 with solar flux on May 12 at its lowest level since April 4, 2024. The solar max phase of solar cycle 25 was considerably shorter than that of the most recent solar cycles.

All 365 days smoothed sunspot numbers peaked on October 11-12, 2024
, very likely making this the peak of SC25 (STAR 1K 365d peak: 236.1, STAR 2K 365d peak: 364.3, NOAA SN 365d peak: 156.0, ISN 365d peak: 163.6). 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.