Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on September 11, 2025 at 03:25 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 (September 1, 2025)
Solar cycle Solar cycles 23-25 (September 1, 2025) Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (April 5, 2007)
  Cycle 24-25 progress (September 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 (September 1, 2025) 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013
  Comparison of cycles 12-14, 16, 24-25 (September 1, 2025) 4th SSN Workshop, Locarno, 2014
  Solar polar fields vs. solar cycles (August 17, 2025) Cycle 25 initial spots (final update December 25, 2019)
  Solar cycles 24-25 transition using 365d smoothing  

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was at quiet to active levels on September 10 under the influence of effects associated with CH1315. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 448 and 592 km/sec (+4 km/sec compared to the previous day). The high latitude magnetometer at Andenes recorded quiet to major storm 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 119.0 - decreasing 11.4 over the previous solar rotation. The 365 day average solar flux at 1 AU was 170.13 (183 days ago). The 81 day average solar flux at 1 AU was 148.4 (41 days ago, this is 50.2% 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: 195.9 on October 13, 2024.

The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 12 (STAR Ap - based on the average of three hour interval ap indices: 12.1). Three hour interval K indices: 44122212 (planetary), 44112322 (Boulder), 56123244 (Andenes).

The background x-ray flux is at the class B6 level (GOES 19).

At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 11 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 166) and in 9 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 127) SDO/HMI images.

AR 14207 [N27W74] decayed slowly and was mostly quiet. C1 flares: C1.3 @ 09:25 UT
AR 14210 [N07W54] was quiet and stable.
AR 14211 [S14W36] was quiet and stable.
AR 14213 [S15W25] decayed slowly and quietly.
AR 14214 [N05W52] decayed slowly and quietly.
New AR 14215 [N24W28] emerged on September 8 and was numbered by SWPC 2 days later.

Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted differently) by SWPC/USAF:
S11413 [S00W22] was quiet and stable.
S11418 [N23E41] reemerged with tiny spots.
S11421 [S08E35] was quiet and stable.
New AR S11422 [N21E35] emerged with tiny spots.
New AR S11423 [N09E85] rotated partly into view. C1 flares: C1.2 @ 10:43 UT

AR 14206 produced a C1.0 flare at 15:52 UT while rotating over the northwest limb.

C2+ flares

Magnitude Peak time (UT) Location Source Recorded by Comment

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

September 8-10: 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 positive polarity southern hemisphere coronal hole (CH1315) was in an Earth facing position on September 2-7. A large recurrent trans equatorial negative polarity coronal hole (CH1316) will rotate across the central meridian on September 10-13.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be at quiet to unsettled levels on September 11 due to weakening effects from CH1315 and quiet on September 12. September 13-16 could see quiet to minor storm levels due to effects from CH1316, major storm intervals are possible on September 13.

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
14206 2025.08.28
2025.08.29
1     N08W92 0030 HSX     was AR S11390

location: N10W90

area: 0150 - the region was developing as it rotated out of view

14207 2025.08.29
2025.08.30
3 5 3 N29W72 0070 CSO DAO beta-delta?

was AR S11394

location: N27W74

area: 0150

14211 2025.09.01
2025.09.02
1 1 1 S14W36 0110 HSX HSX was AR S11401

area: 0210

14210 2025.09.01
2025.09.02
2 4 3 N07W56 0010 BXO AXX was AR S11402

location: N07W54

14212 2025.09.04
2025.09.04
      N09W76        

was AR S11407

location: N09W75

14213 2025.09.06
2025.09.06
13 20 16 S15W25 0230 DAI DAO

was AR S11410

area: 0310

S11411 2025.09.06       N08W24            
S11412 2025.09.07       N16W17          
S11413 2025.09.07   1 1 S00W22 0003   AXX  
14214 2025.09.08
2025.09.09
3 9 8 N06W52 0030 DRO DRI was AR S11414

area: 0070

location: N05W52

S11415 2025.09.08       N09W39          
S11416 2025.09.08       S07W26            
14215 2025.09.08
2025.09.10
1 8 3 N23W29 0010 HRX CRO was AR S11417

area: 0020

location: N24W28

S11418 2025.09.08   2 1 N23E41 0004   AXX    
S11419 2025.09.08       S10E10          
S11420 2025.09.09       S32E04          
S11421 2025.09.09   3   S08E35 0005   AXX  
S11422 2025.09.10   2 1 N21E35 0006   BXO    
S11423 2025.09.10   1   N09E85 0050   HSX    
Total spot count: 24 56 37  
Sunspot number: 94 166 127  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 50 82 63  (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): 103 91 102  

Monthly solar cycle data

Month Average solar flux International sunspot number
(WDC-SILSO)
Smoothed sunspot number (4) Average ap
(3)
Measured 1 AU
2024.03 154.4 152.9 103.7 141.4 (+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  184.2 179.7 155.7 139.9 (-6.4) 14.42
2025.03 163.7 162.1 134.2 (135.6 projected, -4.3) 15.96
2025.04 162.5 163.6 140.6 (132.5 projected, -3.1) 17.62
2025.05  135.3 138.3 79.2 (127.6 projected, -4.9) 17.26
2025.06 131.3 135.4 116.3 (122.8 projected, -4.8) 21.43
2025.07 137.8 142.3 125.6 (118.9 projected, -3.9) 11.80
2025.08 154.9 158.7 133.6 (114.1 projected, -4.8) 9.8
2025.09 153.4 (1)   40.8 (2A) / 122.3 (2B) / 146.3 (2C) (109.7 projected, -4.4) (13.6)
2025.10       (105.8 projected, -3.9)  
2025.11       (103.6 projected, -2.2)  
2025.12       (101.9 projected, -1.7)  
2026.01       (97.8 projected, -4.1)  
2026.02       (93.7 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

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.