Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on June 11, 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)]
[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 May 3, 2012)]

[POES auroral activity level since October 2009 - updated June 10, 2012]
[Solar polar fields vs solar cycles - updated June 27, 2011]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet on June 10. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 378 and 499 km/s.

Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 128.3 (decreasing 1.7 over the last solar rotation). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 6 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 5.6). Three hour interval K indices: 01112212 (planetary), 11112322 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux is at the class B5 level.

At midnight UTC the visible solar disk had 15 spotted active regions (in 2K resolution SDO images).

Region 11493 [N14W80] was quiet and stable.
Region 11494 [S17W59] was quiet and stable.
Region 11496 [N16W62] decayed and was quiet.
Region 11499 [N15W45] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 11504 [S17E54] developed further adding area and spots. The region is bordering an EAI classification. Further M class flaring is possible. Flare: M1.3 at 06:45 UTC
Region 11505 [S09E53] developed slowly and quietly.
New region 11506 [N10E65] rotated into view on June 9 and was numbered by SWPC the next day. Slow development was observed on June 10.
New region 11507 [S25E29] emerged in the southeast quadrant on June 7 and was noticed by SWPC 3 days later.

Spotted active regions not numbered or interpreted differently by NOAA/SWPC:
S1719
[S25E43] decayed slowly and was quiet.
S1723 [S30E19] was quiet and stable.
New region S1724 [N18W70] emerged early in the day but had only a single spot by the end of the day.
New region S1725 [S25W45] emerged with tiny spots.
New region S1726 [S14E35] emerged with tiny spots.
New region S1727 [N10W06] emerged with a single spot.
New region S1728 [N08W10] emerged with a single spot.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

June 8-10: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in LASCO or STEREO imagery.

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 near potentially 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 to fair.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be mostly quiet on June 11-13.

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
11494 2012.05.30
2012.05.31
1 2 1 S16W60 0070 HKX CSO

area: 0200

11493 2012.05.30
2012.05.31
1 1 1 N16W80 0060 HAX HSX

area: 0140

11496 2012.05.30
2012.06.01
1 1 1 N16W60 0010 AXX AXX  

 

11497 2012.05.30
2012.06.01
6     S22W83 0080 CAO    

spotless

location: S22W86

11498 2012.05.31
2012.06.01
      N07W52           plage
11499 2012.06.01
2012.06.03
11 23 15 N16W38 0050 CAO DRI beta-gamma
11502 2012.06.02
2012.06.04
      S17W44         plage

location: S16W39

11501 2012.06.04       N07W75           plage
S1709 2012.06.04       N13W28           plage
S1713 2012.06.06       N11W20           plage
11507 2012.06.07
2012.06.10
5 19 11 S26E29 0060 DAO DAI  
11504 2012.06.08
2012.06.09
7 19 11 S18E51 0120 DAI DAI beta-gamma

area: 0300

location: S17E54

S1717 2012.06.08       S15W23           plage
S1718 2012.06.08       N34W29           plage
11505 2012.06.09 3 13 9 S10E51 0050 DAO CAI location: S09E53
S1719 2012.06.09   1 1 S25E43 0000   AXX  
11506 2012.06.09
2012.06.10
2 14 4 N11E66 0050 CAO CAO classification should have been HAX on June 9
S1721 2012.06.09       N10E33         plage
S1722 2012.06.09       S17W21         plage
S1723 2012.06.09   4   S30E19 0000   BXO  
S1724 2012.06.10   1   N18W70 0000   AXX    
S1725 2012.06.10   2   S25W45 0000   BXO    
S1726 2012.06.10   2   S14E35 0000   AXX   1 spot outside of image
S1727 2012.06.10   1 1 N10W06 0000   AXX    
S1728 2012.06.10   1 1 N08W10 0000   AXX    
Total spot count: 37 104 56  
Sunspot number: 127 254 166  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted penumbral SN: 82 137 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): 76 89 91 k * (sunspot number). k = 0.6 for SWPC, k = 0.35 (changed from 0.45 on March 1, 2011) 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
 
2011.03 115.0 56.2 36.9 (+3.5) 8.18
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 (64.3 projected, +3.2) 3.78
2012.01 132.5 58.3 (68.0 projected, +3.7) 7.15
2012.02 106.5 33.1 (71.3 projected, +3.3) 8.81
2012.03 114.7 64.2 (73.0 projected, +1.7) 16.08
2012.04 113.0 55.2 (73.2 projected, +0.2) 10.10
2012.05 121.5 69.0 (73.2 projected, +0.0) 8.75
2012.06 129.6 (1) 41.5 (2A) / 124.5 (2B) (73.9 projected, +0.7) (13.06)

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.