Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Last major update issued on May 3, 2011 at 04:30 UTC.

[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and electron fluence charts (updated daily)
[Solar cycles 21-24 (last update May 1, 2011)]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last update May 1, 2011)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 24 (last update May 1, 2011)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (last update April 5, 2007)]
[Archived reports since January 2003 (last update May 1, 2011)]

[POES auroral activity level charts since October 2009 - updated April 28, 2011]
Annotated geomagnetic activity charts - Carrington rotation 2107 [Feb.-March 2011] - 2108 [March-April 2011] NEW

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was unsettled to minor storm on May 2. Solar wind speed ranged between 575 and 766 km/s under the influence of a high speed stream from CH446.

Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 109.8 (increasing 0.6 over the last solar rotation). The planetary A index was 20 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 20.5). Three hour interval K indices: 35433333 (planetary), 34433323 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux is at the class B3 level.

At midnight UTC the visible solar disk had 8 spotted regions.

Region 11200 developed slowly and quietly.
Region 11201 was quiet and stable.
Region 11203 was quiet and stable.
New region 11204 emerged near the northeast limb on April 30 and was numbered by NOAA/SWPC two days later. The region developed on May 2 and could produce C flares.
New region 11205 rotated into view at the northeast limb on April 30 and was noticed by NOAA/SWPC on May 2. Slow development was observed on May 2.

Spotted regions not numbered by NOAA/SWPC:
[S980] reemerged with a single spot on May 1 and developed slowly on May 2. Location at midnight: N22W03
[S985] emerged in the northeast quadrant on April 30. Location at nidnight: N21W19
[S988] emerged in the northwest quadrant on May 2. Location at midnight: N12W33

A filament eruption was observed starting near 16h UTC in the southeast quadrant. A small CME was observed off the east limb.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

April 30 - May 2: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in LASCO and STEREO 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 poorly defined coronal hole (CH447) in the southern hemisphere was in an Earth facing position on May 2-3.

The darkest areas on the solar disk are likely coronal holes.

Propagation

Long distance low and medium frequency (below 2 MHz) propagation along paths north of due west over high and upper middle latitudes is poor. Propagation on long distance northeast-southwest paths is fair to good.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to active on May 3 due to effects from CH446. Quiet conditions are likely on May 4 while there is a possibility of unsettled intervals on May 5-6 if a coronal hole stream associatred with CH447 arrives.

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.

Active solar regions

(Click on image for higher resolution image) Compare to the previous day's image

When available the active region map has a coronal hole polarity overlay where red (pink) is negative and blue (blue-green) is positive.

Data for all numbered solar regions according to the Solar Region Summary provided by NOAA/SWPC. 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.

Active region Date numbered
detected
Spot count Location at midnight Area Classification SDO / HMI 4K continuum
image with polarity overlay
Comment
SWPC STAR SDO SWPC STAR Current Previous
11201 2011.04.24
2011.04.27
  5 N14W29 0000   BXO location: N11W23
11200 2011.04.25
2011.04.26
3 16 S17W37 0010 BXO CRI area: 0040
S974 2011.04.27     S37W12           plage
S975 2011.04.27     N18W52         plage
11203 2011.04.28 4 7 N18E28 0100 CSO CSO location: N17E26
S976 2011.04.28     N07W07           plage
S977 2011.04.28     N05W23           plage
S979 2011.04.28     N28W45           plage
S980 2011.04.29   5 N22W03 0020   CRO  
S981 2011.04.29     S46W30           plage
11204 2011.04.30
2011.05.02
3 22 N17E38 0050 CSO CAI formerly region S982

location: N16E40

11205 2011.04.30
2011.05.02
1 6 N14E52 0000 AXX BXO formerly region S983

area: 0010

S984 2011.04.30     S35W41         plage
S985 2011.04.30   3 N21W19 0000   AXX  
S986 2011.05.01     S20E23         plage
S987 2011.05.01     N35W42         plage
S988 2011.05.02   2 N12W33 0000   BXO    
Total spot count: 11 66  
Sunspot number: 51 146  

Monthly solar cycle data

Month Average measured solar flux International sunspot number (SIDC) Smoothed sunspot number Average ap
(3)
2008.07 65.7 (SF minimum) 0.5 2.8 (-0.4)  
2008.12 69.2 0.8 1.7 (-)
sunspot minimum
3.25
2010.02 84.7 18.8 10.6 (+1.3) 4.15 / 4.61
2010.03 83.4 15.4 12.3 (+1.7) 4.58 / 4.65
2010.04 75.9 8.0 14.0 (+1.7) 10.22 / 10.24
2010.05 73.8 8.7 15.5 (+1.5) 9.18 / 8.15
2010.06 72.5 13.6 16.4 (+0.9) 8.17 / 6.85
2010.07 79.8 16.1 16.7 (+0.3) 6.31 / 5.15
2010.08 79.2 19.6 17.4 (+0.7) 8.49 / 7.77
2010.09 81.1 25.2 19.6 (+2.2) 5.33 / 5.45
2010.10 81.6 23.5 23.2 (+3.6) 6.07 / 6.27
2010.11 82.5 21.5 (26.9 predicted, +3.7) 4.80 / 5.50
2010.12 84.2 14.4 (30.1 predicted, +3.2) 3.41 / 4.35
2011.01 83.6 19.1 (33.1 predicted, +3.0) 4.32 / 5.51
2011.02 94.6 29.4 (35.6 predicted, +2.5) 5.41 / 6.44
2011.03 115.0 56.2 (37.9 predicted, +2.3) 7.79
2011.04 112.6 54.4 (40.8 predicted, +2.9) 9.71
2011.05 108.0 (1) 3.5 (2A) / 54.0 (2B) (44.1 predicted, +3.3) (19.94)

1) Running average based on the daily 20:00 UTC observed solar flux value at 2800 MHz.
2A) Current impact on the monthly sunspot number based on the Boulder (NOAA/SWPC) sunspot number (accumulated daily sunspots / month days). The official SIDC international sunspot number is typically 30-50% lower. 2B) Month average to date.
3) Running average based on the preliminary daily SWPC ap indices. Values in red are based on the official NGDC ap indices.

This report has been prepared by Jan Alvestad. It is based on analysis of data from whatever sources are available at the time the report is prepared. All time references are to the UTC day. Comments and suggestions are always welcome.

SDO images are courtesy of NASA/SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams.