Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Last major update issued on September 25, 2006 at 02:55 UTC.

[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and electron fluence charts (updated daily)]
[Solar cycles 21-23 (last update September 3, 2006)]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22 and 23 (last update September 3, 2006)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 2, 10, 13, 17, 20 and 23 (last update September 3, 2006)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2005 (last update March 3, 2006)]
[Archived reports (last update September 8, 2006)]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet to minor storm on September 24. Solar wind speed ranged between 394 and 664 km/s (all day average 558 km/s - increasing 230 km/s over the previous day) under the influence of a high speed stream from CH240.

Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 69.8. The planetary A index was 23 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 23.1). Three hour interval K indices: 55453222 (planetary), 55352222 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux is far below the class A1 level.

At midnight there was 1 spotted region on the visible solar disk. The solar flare activity level was very low. No C class events were recorded during the day.

Region 10910 decayed further and could soon become spotless.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

September 22-24: No obvious partly or fully Earth directed CMEs were detected in LASCO imagery.

Coronal holes

Coronal hole history (since late October 2002)
Compare today's report to the situation one solar rotation ago: 28 days ago 27 days ago 26 days ago

A recurrent trans equatorial coronal hole (CH240) was in an Earth facing position on September 20-21. A recurrent coronal hole (CH241) in the southern hemisphere will likely be in an Earth facing position on September 25-27.

Processed SOHO/EIT 284 image at 19:06 UTC on September 22. The darkest areas on the solar disk are likely coronal holes.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to unsettled on September 25-26 and quiet on September 27. Quiet to active conditions are likely on September 28-30 due to a high speed stream from CH241.

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: 0-20% probability, Yellow: 20-60% probability, Red: 60-100% probability.

Propagation

Long distance low and medium frequency (below 2 MHz) propagation along east-west paths over high and upper middle latitudes is very poor. Propagation on long distance northeast-southwest paths is poor.

After LSR on September 24 lots of stations from an area stretching from the Dominican Republic (1570 Radio Amanecer was heard with a good signal) in the northeast to Ecuador in the southwest  (1350 Teleradio was in the clear for about 30 minutes) had surprisingly good signals.

Active solar regions (Recent map)

Compare to the previous day's image.

Data for all numbered solar regions according to the Solar Region Summary provided by NOAA/SEC. 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 SEC or where SEC has observed no spots. SEC active region numbers in the table below and in the active region map above are the historic SEC/USAF numbers.

Active region Date numbered SEC
spot
count
STAR
spot
count
Location at midnight Area Classification Comment
10910 2006.09.18 3 1 S09W32 0030 AXX area was 0010 at midnight
Total spot count: 3 1  
SSN: 13 11  

Monthly solar cycle data

Month Average solar
flux at Earth
International sunspot number Smoothed sunspot number
2000.04 184.2 125.5 120.8
cycle 23 sunspot max.
2000.07 202.3 170.1 119.8
2001.12 235.1 132.2 114.6 (-0.9)
2005.07 96.4 40.1 29.1 (+0.3)
2005.08 90.5 36.4 27.4 (-1.7)
2005.09 91.1 21.9 25.8 (-1.6)
2005.10 77.0 8.5 25.5 (-0.3)
2005.11 86.3 18.0 24.9 (-0.6)
2005.12 90.7 41.2 23.0 (-1.9)
2006.01 83.4 15.4 20.8 (-2.2)
2006.02 76.5 4.7 18.6 (-2.2)
2006.03 75.4 10.8 (17.1 predicted, -1.5)
2006.04 89.0 30.2 (16.4 predicted, -0.7)
2006.05 80.9 22.2 (15.9 predicted, -0.5)
2006.06 76.5 13.9 (14.1 predicted, -1.8)
2006.07 75.7 12.2 (12.4 predicted, -1.7)
2006.08 79.0 12.9 (11.9 predicted, -0.5)
2006.09 78.9 (1) 19.6 (2) (11.9 predicted, -0.0)

1) Running average based on the daily 20:00 UTC observed solar flux value at 2800 MHz.
2) Unofficial, accumulated value based on the Boulder (NOAA/SEC) sunspot number. The official international sunspot number is typically 30-50% lower.

This report has been prepared by Jan Alvestad. It is based partly on my own observations and analysis, and partly on data from some of these solar data sources. All time references are to the UTC day. Comments and suggestions are always welcome.


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