The geomagnetic field was at quiet to active levels on January 24 under the influence of effects associated with CH1340. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 464 and 602 km/sec, averaging 524 km/sec (-11 km/sec compared to the previous day). The high latitude magnetometer at Andenes was at quiet to major storm levels. The above 10 MeV proton flux decreased very slowly and was near 1.6 pfu at the end of the UT day.
Solar flux density measured at 20h UT on 2.8 GHz was 173.5 - decreasing 14.2 over the previous solar rotation.
The 365 day average solar flux at 1 AU was 151.48 (183 days ago). The 81 day average solar flux at 1 AU was 147.4 (41 days ago, this is 49.5% 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 16 (STAR Ap - based on the average of three hour interval ap indices: 16.1). Three hour interval K indices: 42233343 (planetary), 32333433 (Boulder), 53243356 (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: 366) and in 18 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 266) SDO/HMI images.
AR 14341 [S11W59] decayed slowly. A patch of
negative polarity flux emerged late in the day within the southern positive
polarity section. It is not yet clear if this is a new AR emerging or will
remain a part of AR 14341.
AR 14342 [N17W56] decayed slowly and was mostly quiet. Note that SWPC groups AR
S11780 with this AR even though the ARs are well separated. C1 flares: C1.7
@ 19:30 UT
AR 14345 [S17W57] decayed slowly and was mostly quiet. C1 flares:
C1.2 @ 23:26 UT
AR 14347 [N09W31] was quiet and stable.
AR 14349 [S14E08] developed slowly and was mostly quiet. C1 flares:
C1.7 @ 17:40 UT
AR 14350 [N21W05] was quiet and stable.
AR 14351 [S04W21] decayed slowly and produced a few flares. C1
flares: C1.4 @ 14:02, C1.9 @ 15:15 UT
AR 14353 [N18W02] was mostly quiet and stable. The region has minor
polarity intermixing and is currently the only AR on the visible disk that
appears to have M class flare potential.
AR 14354 [S11W14] was mostly quiet and stable. C1 flares: C1.6 @
15:02 UT
New AR 14355 [S13E46] rotated into view on January 21 and was
numbered by SWPC 3 days later as the region developed slowly. AR 14355
resides within a plage area spanning 40 degrees longitude. C1 flares: C1.9 @
09:11, C1.9 @ 09:26 UT
Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted
differently) by SWPC/USAF:
AR S11780 [N11W60] decayed slowly and quietly.
AR S11793 [N18W01] decayed slowly and quietly.
AR S11801 [N08W16] decayed slowly and quietly.
AR S11806 [N26E66] was quiet and stable.
New AR S11807 [N07W31] emerged with tiny spots.
New AR S11808 [N15W25] emerged with tiny spots.
New AR S11809 [N19E29] emerged with tiny spots after noon.
New AR S11810 [N07E22] was observed with tiny spots in an old plage
area.
C2+ flares
| Magnitude | Peak time (UT) | Location | Source | Recorded by | Comment |
| C4.7 | 01:08 | 14351 | GOES18 | ||
| C3.7 | 02:15 | 14355 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.9 | 04:00 | 14342 | GOES18 | ||
| C3.3 | 04:17 | 14342 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.7 | 05:17 | GOES18 | filament eruption in NE quadrant | ||
| C3.7 | 06:03 | 14353 | GOES18 | ||
| C3.0 | 06:18 | 14353 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.3 | 07:27 | GOES18 | |||
| C4.1 | 08:31 | 14351 | GOES18 | simultaneous flare in AR 14342 | |
| C2.1 | 09:49 | 14353 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.1 | 12:29 | 14355 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.7 | 18:38 | 14349 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.1 | 20:11 | 14341 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.5 | 21:19 | 14341 | GOES18 |
January 22-24: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in available coronagraph imagery.
[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 huge recurrent trans equatorial positive polarity coronal hole (CH1340) was Earth facing on January 15-22. A recurrent trans equatorial negative polarity coronal hole (CH1341) will rotate across the central meridian on January 24-25.
The geomagnetic field is expected to be at quiet to active levels on January 25 due to effects associated with CH1340 and quiet on January 26. Effects from CH1341 could cause quiet to active levels on January 27-28.
| 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 | ||||||||||
| 14341 | 2026.01.13 2026.01.14 |
5 | 11 | 6 | S10W60 | 0200 | CAO | DAO |
 |
 |
was AR S11770 area: 0140 location: S11W59 |
| 14342 | 2026.01.14 2026.01.14 |
8 | 3 | 3 | N14W58 | 0180 | DSO | CSO |
 |
 |
was AR S11772 area: 0200 location: N17W56 SWPC includes the spots of AR S11780 |
| 14344 | 2026.01.15 | N19W70 |
location: N18W66 |
||||||||
| 14345 | 2026.01.15 2026.01.15 |
7 | 11 | 6 | S17W56 | 0160 | ESI | DSO |
 |
 |
was AR S11776 area: 0170 |
| 14346 | 2026.01.15 2026.01.15 |
S14W49 |
was AR S11777 location: S13W39 |
||||||||
| S11780 | 2026.01.15 | 6 | 2 | N11W60 | 0050 | CAO |
 |
 |
|||
| 14347 | 2026.01.16 2026.01.16 |
1 | 2 | 1 | N10W32 | 0060 | HSX | HSX |
 |
 |
was AR S11781 area: 0140 |
| S11783 | 2026.01.16 | N02W49 | |||||||||
| 14348 | 2026.01.18 2026.01.18 |
S17W85 |
 |
was AR S11784 location: S17W87 |
|||||||
| 14350 | 2026.01.18 2026.01.19 |
1 | 7 | 2 | N18W00 | 0010 | AXX | BXO |
 |
 |
was AR S11786 real location: N21W05 SWPC location was N21E04 on 2026.01.23. Apparently they included a spot from AR S11793 |
| 14351 | 2026.01.18 2026.01.19 |
8 | 24 | 11 | S04W21 | 0080 | DAI | DRO |
 |
 |
was AR S11787 area: 0060 |
| S11788 | 2026.01.18 | N04W47 | |||||||||
| 14349 | 2026.01.18 2026.01.19 |
2 | 33 | 15 | S14E08 | 0130 | DSO | DHI |
 |
 |
was AR S11789 area: 0470 |
| 14352 | 2026.01.20 2026.01.20 |
S02W33 |
was AR S11790 loction: S01W30 |
||||||||
| S11791 | 2026.01.20 | S05W28 | |||||||||
| S11793 | 2026.01.20 | 5 | 1 | N18W01 | 0010 | BXO |
 |
 |
|||
| S11794 | 2026.01.20 | S14W42 | |||||||||
| 14353 | 2026.01.21 2026.01.22 |
12 | 35 | 20 | N18W16 | 0040 | DAI | DAC |
 |
 |
beta-gamma was AR S11797 area: 0300 location: S18W02 SWPC area does not reflect physical reality |
| 14355 | 2026.01.21 2026.01.24 |
2 | 18 | 7 | S14E44 | 0010 | CAO | DRO |
 |
 |
was AR S11798 area: 0050 location: S13E46 |
| S11799 | 2026.01.21 | N05W03 | |||||||||
| 14354 | 2026.01.22 2026.01.22 |
1 | 9 | 1 | S11W14 | 0010 | AXX | BXO |
 |
 |
was AR 11800 area: 0020 |
| S11801 | 2026.01.22 | 4 | 1 | N08W16 | 0010 | BXO |
 |
 |
|||
| S11802 | 2026.01.22 | S24W47 |
 |
||||||||
| S11806 | 2026.01.23 | 2 | 1 | N26E66 | 0006 | AXX |
 |
 |
|||
| S11807 | 2026.01.24 | 4 | 3 | N07W31 | 0020 | DRO |
 |
||||
| S11808 | 2026.01.24 | 4 | 3 | N15W25 | 0010 | BXO |
 |
||||
| S11809 | 2026.01.24 | 5 | 2 | N19E29 | 0010 | CRO |
 |
||||
| S11810 | 2026.01.24 | 3 | 1 | N07E22 | 0006 | AXX |
 |
||||
| Total spot count: | 47 | 186 | 86 | ||||||||
| Sunspot number: | 147 | 366 | 266 | (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions) | |||||||
| Weighted SN: | 87 | 238 | 138 | (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): | 162 | 201 | 213 | ||||||||
| Month | Average solar flux | International sunspot number (WDC-SILSO) |
Smoothed sunspot number (4) | Average
ap (3) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Measured | 1 AU | ||||
| 2024.05 | 187.7 | 191.9 | 172.1 | 149.1 (+4.6) | 23.56 (SC25 peak) |
| 2024.08 | 246.1 (SC25 peak) |
252.2 | 216.0 (SC25 peak) | 156.8 (+1.8) | 15.96 |
| 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 | 157.2 (-3.7) | 9.33 |
| 2024.12 | 197.3 | 191.2 | 154.6 | 151.2 (-6.0) | 8.42 |
| 2025.01 | 190.3 | 184.2 | 137.0 | 146.2 (-5.0) | 13.17 |
| 2025.02 | 184.2 | 179.7 | 155.7 | 139.8 (-6.4) | 14.42 |
| 2025.03 | 163.7 | 162.1 | 134.2 | 135.9 (-3.9) | 15.96 |
| 2025.04 | 162.5 | 163.6 | 141.4 | 133.3 (-2.6) | 17.62 |
| 2025.05 | 135.3 | 138.3 | 78.5 | 128.6 (-4.7) | 17.26 |
| 2025.06 | 131.3 | 135.4 | 114.6 | 124.7 (-3.9) | 21.43 |
| 2025.07 | 137.8 | 142.3 | 125.9 | (122.4 projected, -2.3) | 11.80 |
| 2025.08 | 154.9 | 158.7 | 133.7 | (119.3 projected, -3.1) | 9.97 |
| 2025.09 | 154.4 | 156.0 | 129.7 | (115.8 projected, -3.5) | 14.02 |
| 2025.10 | 139.5 | 138.6 | 114.6 | (111.8 projected, -4.0) | 15.64 |
| 2025.11 | 140.3 | 137.3 | 91.7 | (109.6 projected, -2.2) | 21.01 |
| 2025.12 | 160.8 | 155.8 | 124.0 | (108.0 projected, -1.6) | 13.35 |
| 2026.01 | 151.7 (1) | 92.3 (2A) / 119.2 (2B) / 144.4 (2C) ISN to date: 116. At this level SSN for July 2025 will become: 122.6 |
(104.0 projected, -4.0) | (26.0) | |
| 2026.02 | (99.9 projected, -4.1) | ||||
| 2026.03 | (95.5 projected, -4.4) | ||||
| 2026.04 | (91.8 projected, -3.7) | ||||
| 2026.05 | (90.5 projected, -1.3) | ||||
| 2026.06 | (88.4 projected, -2.1) | ||||
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 was on a decreasing trend from September
2024 until mid August 2025 (using the average solar flux over 3 solar rotations as a proxy).
Then a strong surge in activity saw solar flux peak in late August 2025 just
below the largest peaks seen in 2024. A slow decrease in activity from the
August level has been observed in September and October 2025.
All 365 day smoothed sunspot numbers reached a maximum on October 11-12, 2024.
This became the peak of SC25 (365 day smoothed peaks: STAR 1K: 236.1, STAR 2K: 364.3, NOAA SN: 156.0, ISN: 163.9),
while 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.
