The geomagnetic field was at quiet to major storm levels on March 22 due to CME and possibly CIR effects. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 437 and 577 km/sec, averaging 505 km/sec (+58 km/sec compared to the previous day). The high latitude magnetometer at Andenes recorded quiet to severe storm levels. The above 10 MeV proton flux was slightly above background levels.
Solar flux density measured at 20h UT on 2.8 GHz was 177.9 - decreasing 25.0 over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 194.67. In comparison SC24 peaked on June 28, 2014 at 145.50 while SC23 peaked on February 23, 2002 at 198.15. Current SC25 peak: 194.78 on September 18, 2024 (subtracting a baseline solar flux level of 65, this is +61.22% compared to the SC24 peak and -2.53% compared to the SC23 peak). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 30 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 29.6). Three hour interval K indices: 65324444 (planetary), 55323533 (Boulder), 75235545 (Andenes).
The background x-ray flux is at the class C2 level (GOES 18).
At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 17 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 352) and in 16 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 234) SDO/HMI images.
AR 14028 [S15W51] was mostly quiet and stable.
C1 flares: C1.9 @ 01:04, C1.6 @ 07:29, C1.8 @ 11:27 UT
AR 14030 [S17W37] decayed slowly and quietly.
AR 14031 [N16W79] decayed slowly and quietly.
AR 14033 [N27W28] was quiet and stable.
AR 14035 [N16E04] developed as new flux emerged.
AR 14036 [N07W38] developed quickly and was the main cause of the
increase in solar flux. C1 flares: C1.9 @ 03:26, C1.9 @ 08:15, C1.8 @ 09:07
UT
AR 14037 [N19W33] decayed slowly and quietly.
AR 14038 [S14E44] gained a few spots and was mostly quiet. C1 flares:
C1.7 @ 07:03 UT
AR 14039 [N09E54] was quiet and stable.
New AR 14040 [S09E62] rotated into view on March 21 and was numbered
the next day by SWPC.
New AR 14041 [N19E63] rotated into view on March 21 and received its
NOAA number the following day.
Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted
differently) by SWPC/USAF:
S10899 [S10W21] decayed slowly and quietly.
S10906 [S17E13] was quiet and stable.
S10910 [N18E18] decayed slowly and quietly.
S10917 [S18W13] was quiet and stable.
New region S10919 [N17W12] emerged with tiny spots.
New region S10920 [S20W21] emerged with tiny spots.
C2+ flares
| Magnitude | Peak time (UT) | Location | Source | Recorded by | Comment |
| C2.0 | 04:32 | 14040 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.1 | 04:36 | 14040 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.5 | 06:14 | 14036 | GOES16 | ||
| C2.1 | 12:47 | 14036 | GOES16 | ||
| C2.5 | 13:50 | 14036 | GOES16 | ||
| C2.6 | 15:22 | 14036 | GOES16 | ||
| C2.9 | 15:50 | 14036 | GOES16 | ||
| C5.1 | 17:28 | N14E13 | 14035 | GOES16 | |
| C3.2 | 18:29 | 14040 | GOES16 | ||
| C2.3 | 21:00 | 14028 | GOES16 | ||
| C2.1 | 22:24 | 14036 | GOES16 |
March 20, 22: No obviously Earth directed CMEs.
March 21: A faint full halo CME was observed after an eruption to the
north of AR S10899 (possibly triggered by the M1 flare in AR 14028). The CME could reach Earth on March 23
or 24.
[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 trans equatorial negative polarity coronal hole (CH1277) rotated across the central meridian on March 19-20. A trans equatorial positive polarity coronal hole (CH1278) will rotate into an Earth facing position on March 23-24. A large positive polarity southern hemisphere coronal hole (CH1279) will be Earth facing on March 21-24.
Long distance low and medium frequency (below 2 MHz) propagation along paths north of due west over upper middle and high latitudes is poor. Propagation on long distance northeast-southwest paths is poor.
The geomagnetic field is expected to be at quiet to minor storm levels on March 23-24 due to CME effects and effects from CH1277. Effects from CH1277 and CH1279 could cause quiet to active levels on March 25-27.
| 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 | ||||||||||
| 14021 | 2025.03.09 2025.03.10 |
1 | S06W90 | 0100 | HSX |
 |
was AR S10876 location: S04W88 rotated out of view |
||||
| 14023 | 2025.03.10 2025.03.11 |
N25W87 |
was AR S10879 location: N25W82 |
||||||||
| 14031 | 2025.03.10 2025.03.15 |
4 | 5 | 3 | N17W79 | 0080 | CAO | CAO |
 |
 |
was AR S10880 location: N16W79 |
| 14026 | 2025.03.11 2025.03.12 |
S20W82 |
 |
was AR S10882 location: S19W81 |
|||||||
| 14029 | 2025.03.12 2025.03.15 |
S15W64 |
was AR S10888 location: S14W57 |
||||||||
| 14028 | 2025.03.12 2025.03.12 |
6 | 16 | 8 | S16W52 | 0040 | CRI | DRI |
 |
 |
beta-gamma location: S15W51 area: 0060 |
| 14030 | 2025.03.13 2025.03.15 |
1 | 8 | 2 | S18W39 | 0100 | HSX | CSO |
 |
 |
was AR S10894 area: 0120 location: S17W37 |
| 14033 | 2025.03.14 2025.03.15 |
5 | 2 | N19W33 | 0010 | BXO |
 |
 |
was AR S10895 location: N27W28 SWPC location is way off. Was a copy of AR 14037 location on 2025.03.21 and has since been auto incremented |
||
| 14032 | 2025.03.14 2025.03.15 |
N28W62 |
was AR S10896 location: N28W55 |
||||||||
| S10898 | 2025.03.15 | N18W50 | |||||||||
| 14034 | 2025.03.16 | 1 | S11W21 | 0010 | AXX | this was first the trailing spots of AR 14030, then on 2025.03.17 SWPC moved the group number to the spots of AR S10899 | |||||
| S10899 | 2025.03.16 | 14 | 5 | S11W21 | 0025 | BXO |
 |
 |
|||
| S10900 | 2025.03.16 | S25W50 | |||||||||
| 14035 | 2025.03.17 2025.03.18 |
7 | 29 | 11 | N15E05 | 0080 | DRO | DRI |
 |
 |
beta-gamma was AR S10901 |
| S10903 | 2025.03.17 | N12W34 | |||||||||
| S10904 | 2025.03.17 | N10W47 |
 |
||||||||
| S10905 | 2025.03.18 | N17W19 |
 |
||||||||
| S10906 | 2025.03.18 | 10 | 1 | S17E13 | 0030 | BXO |
 |
 |
|||
| S10907 | 2025.03.18 | S05W10 | |||||||||
| 14037 | 2025.03.19 | 4 | 12 | 4 | N19W34 | 0010 | BXO | CRO |
 |
 |
was AR S10909 location: N19W33 area: 0030 |
| S10910 | 2025.03.19 | 8 | N18E18 | 0015 | BXO |
 |
 |
||||
| S10911 | 2025.03.19 | S30W52 | |||||||||
| 14038 | 2025.03.20 2025.03.21 |
2 | 8 | 4 | S15E47 | 0010 | BXO | CRO |
 |
 |
was AR S10912 location: S14E44 area: 0020 |
| 14036 | 2025.03.20 2025.03.21 |
15 | 42 | 21 | N07W39 | 0220 | DAC | DKI |
 |
 |
was AR S10913 location: N07W38 area: 0530 |
| 14039 | 2025.03.20 2025.03.21 |
3 | 8 | 4 | N09E53 | 0010 | BXO | BXO |
 |
 |
was AR S10914 location: N09E54 |
| 14040 | 2025.03.21 2025.03.22 |
1 | 7 | 5 | S08E61 | 0030 | HAX | DRO |
 |
was AR S10915 note that SWPC are interpreting the trailing spots of AR 14040 as AR 14042 location: S09E62 |
|
| 14041 | 2025.03.21 2025.03.22 |
1 | 3 | 1 | N16E63 | 0010 | AXX | HRX |
 |
 |
was AR S10916 area: 0015 location: N14E63 |
| S10917 | 2025.03.21 | 3 | 1 | S18W13 | 0006 | BXO |
 |
 |
|||
| S10918 | 2025.03.21 | S19W04 |
 |
||||||||
| 14042 | 2025.03.22 | 1 | S12E69 | 0010 | AXX | the trailing spots of AR 14040 | |||||
| S10919 | 2025.03.22 | 2 | 1 | N17W42 | 0006 | BXO |
 |
||||
| S10920 | 2025.03.22 | 2 | 1 | S20W21 | 0004 | AXX |
 |
||||
| Total spot count: | 47 | 182 | 74 | ||||||||
| Sunspot number: | 177 | 352 | 234 | (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions) | |||||||
| Weighted SN: | 78 | 220 | 112 | (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): | 195 | 194 | 187 | ||||||||
| 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 |
| 2023.09 | 154.4 | 156.0 | 134.2 | 124.0 (-0.3) | 14.26 |
| 2023.10 | 142.8 | 141.9 | 99.9 | 124.8 (+0.8) | 8.16 |
| 2023.11 | 153.5 | 150.2 | 107.1 | 127.9 (+3.1) | 12.20 |
| 2023.12 | 151.1 | 146.4 | 113.5 | 129.5 (+1.6) | 9.60 |
| 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 | 152.7 (+3.6) | 10.24 |
| 2024.07 | 196.6 | 203.0 | 196.8 | 154.9 (+2.3) | 7.13 |
| 2024.08 | 246.1 (cycle peak) |
252.2 | 216.0 (SC25 peak) | 156.7 (+1.8) | 15.96 |
| 2024.09 | 195.7 | 197.8 | 141.1 | (159.5 projected, +2.8) | 15.36 |
| 2024.10 | 221.0 | 219.6 | 166.4 | (160.6 projected, +1.1) | 18.99 |
| 2024.11 | 199.6 | 195.3 | 152.5 | (158.0 projected, -2.6) | 9.33 |
| 2024.12 | 197.3 | 191.2 | 154.5 | (154.2 projected, -3.8) | 8.42 |
| 2025.01 | 190.3 | 184.2 | 137.0 | (148.7 projected, -5.5) | 13.17 |
| 2025.02 | 184.2 | 179.7 | 154.7 | (140.2 projected, -8.5) | 14.42 |
| 2025.03 | 165.0 (1) | 100.7 (2A) / 142.0 (2B) / 174.5 (2C) ISN average: 150 |
(133.8 projected, -6.4) | (15.8) | |
| 2025.04 | (129.2 projected, -4.6) | ||||
| 2025.05 | (123.9 projected, -5.3) | ||||
| 2025.06 | (119.0 projected, -4.9) | ||||
| 2025.07 | (114.9 projected, -4.1) | ||||
| 2025.08 | (110.2 projected, -4.7) | ||||
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 slowly decreasing trend since September 2024 (using the average solar flux over 3 solar rotations as a proxy). Currently all 365 days smoothed indices are still indicating that a peak occurred on October 12 or 13, 2024. Should sunspot activity decrease even further then there is a possibility that the peak may have taken place in September 2024. Any peak outside of September-October 2024 appears unlikely. The 365 days average solar flux is likely to max out ~2% below the peak of solar cycle 23. The maximum 365d smoothed solar flux of SC23 and SC25 are similar, however, sunspot numbers were significantly lower during SC25 compared to SC23.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
