Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on August 1, 2012 at 04:55 UTC.

[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and electron fluence charts (updated daily)]
[Solar cycles 21-24 (last update June 2, 2012)] [Cycle 24 progress NEW]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last update June 2, 2012)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 24 (last update June 2, 2012)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (last update April 5, 2007)]
[Archived reports since January 2003 (last update July 1, 2012)]

[POES auroral activity level since October 2009 - updated July 17, 2012]
[Solar polar fields vs solar cycles - updated June 27, 2011]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet on July 31. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 336 and 384 km/s.

Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 139.8 (decreasing 9.4 over the last solar rotation). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 5 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 4.9). Three hour interval K indices: 22101112 (planetary), 22112211 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux is at the class B7 level.

At midnight UTC the visible solar disk had 13 spotted active regions (in 2K resolution SDO images).

Region 11528 [N17W24] decayed slowly and was mostly quiet. Weak polarity intermixing was observed.
Region 11529 [S11W35] was quiet and stable.
Region 11530 [S19W25] decayed slightly and was quiet.
Region 11532 [S21E05] lost the magnetic delta structure in the leading penumbra, however there is still polarity intermixing. C and minor M class flares are possible.
Region 11533 [S29W33] decayed and could soon become spotless.
Region 11534 [N20E14] added several spots and was quiet.
Region 11535 [N18E51] was mostly unchanged and could produce further C flares. Flare: C5.7 long duration event peaking at 11:30 UTC.
New region 11537 [N12E77] rotated into view with a single spot.
New region 11538 [S22E70] rotated into view and could produce C and minor M class flares. Flare: C5.0 at 14:12 UTC.

Spotted active regions not numbered or interpreted differently by NOAA/SWPC:
S1832
[N21W17] was quiet and stable.
New region S1833 [N15W23] emerged with tiny spots.
New region S1834 [N27W35] emerged with small spots.
New region S1835 [N12E36] emerged with a tiny spot.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

July 29-31: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in LASCO and STEREO imagery.
July 28: The partial halo CME produced by the M6 event in AR 11532 could have a minor Earth directed component.

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

No obvious coronal holes are currently in or close to geoeffective positions.

Coronal hole map

The above coronal hole map is based on a method where coronal holes are detected automatically. While the method may need some fine tuning, it has significant advantages over detecting coronal holes manually. The main improvement is the ability to detect coronal holes at and just beyond the solar limbs. Early results using this method for SDO images over a span of several weeks indicate a good match between coronal holes observed over the visible disk and their extent and position at the east and west limbs. Note that the polar coronal holes are easily detected using this method, the extent and intensity of both CHs are consistent with other data sources.

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 poor.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to unsettled on August 1-2 with a chance of active intervals due to CME effects. Quiet conditions are likely on August 3.

Coronal holes (1) Coronal mass ejection (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 magnetic polarity overlay
Comment
SWPC STAR SDO SWPC STAR Current Previous
2K 1K
11526 2012.07.19
2012.07.20
      S17W87           plage

location: S18W74

11528 2012.07.22
2012.07.23
2 4 2 N17W42 0010 HRX CRO

 

11527 2012.07.22
2012.07.23
      N27W44           plage
11529 2012.07.22
2012.07.23
1 3 1 S11W37 0060 HSX HSX location: S11W35
11530 2012.07.23
2012.07.24
1 17 6 S18W27 0150 HSX CSO

area: 0240

location: S19W25

S1819 2012.07.24       N21W59           plage
11532 2012.07.25
2012.07.26
15 56 20 S19E01 0310 DKI FHI beta-gamma

area: 0650

location: S21E05

11533 2012.07.26
2012.07.27
  3   S28W35 0000   BXO location: S29W33
11534 2012.07.27
2012.07.28
  12 5 N17E13 0010   BXO location: N20E14
S1827 2012.07.28       N17W27           plage
S1828 2012.07.28       S22W28           merged with AR 11530
S1829 2012.07.28       S02W54           plage
11535 2012.07.29
2012.07.30
8 18 11 N18E51 0130 DAI ESI area: 0350
11536 2012.07.30 6     S22E13 0090 DAO       part of AR 11532
S1832 2012.07.30   3   N21W17 0000   AXX  
11537 2012.07.31 1 1 1 N12E76 0010 AXX HSX   area: 0050
11538 2012.07.31 2 9 3 S23E68 0030 DRO DSI   area: 0120
S1833 2012.07.31   2 1 N15W23 0000   BXO    
S1834 2012.07.31   2 1 N27W35 0010   AXX    
S1835 2012.07.31   1   N12E36 0000   AXX    
Total spot count: 36 131 51  
Sunspot number: 116 261 151  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted penumbral SN: 72 169 89  (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): 70 91 83 k * (sunspot number). k = 0.6 for SWPC, k = 0.35 for STAR SDO 2K, k = 0.55 for STAR SDO 1K

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
 
2011.04 112.6 54.4 41.8 (+4.9) 8.83
2011.05 95.8 41.6 47.6 (+5.8) 8.94
2011.06 95.8 37.0 53.2 (+5.6) 8.06
2011.07 94.2 43.9 57.2 (+4.0) 8.16
2011.08 101.7 50.6 59.0 (+1.8) 7.26
2011.09 133.8 78.0 59.5 (+0.5) 12.27
2011.10 137.3 88.0 59.9 (+0.4) 8.28
2011.11 153.5 96.7 61.1 (+1.2) 5.55
2011.12 141.3 73.0 63.4 (+2.3) 3.78
2012.01 132.5 58.3 (65.0 projected, +1.6) 7.15
2012.02 106.5 33.1 (66.5 projected, +1.5) 8.81
2012.03 114.7 64.2 (67.2 projected, +0.7) 16.08
2012.04 113.0 55.2 (66.5 projected, -0.7) 10.10
2012.05 121.5 69.0 (64.8 projected, -1.7) 7.06
2012.06 119.6 64.5 (64.0 projected, -0.8) 10.08
2012.07 133.9 (1) 99.6 (2A/2B) (65.0 projected, +1.0) (14.37)

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 quicklook and definitive Potsdam WDC ap indices. Values in red are based on the definitive international Potsdam WDC 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.