Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on June 24, 2013 at 04:45 UTC.

[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and electron fluence charts (updated daily)]
[Solar cycles 23-24 (last update June 1, 2013)] [Cycle 24 progress (last update June 1, 2013) ]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last update June 1, 2013)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 24 (last update June 1, 2013)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (last update April 5, 2007)]
[Archived reports since January 2003 (last update June 6, 2013)]

[POES auroral activity level since October 2009 - updated January 26, 2013]
[Solar polar fields vs solar cycles - updated May 12, 2013]
[Presentation 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013 (pdf)]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet to active on June 23. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 542 and 721 km/s under the combined influences of a CME and a high speed stream from CH573. A solar wind shock was observed at 03:53 UTC at SOHO, this was the arrival of the CME observed on June 21.

Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 128.2 (increasing 18.1 over the last solar rotation). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 16 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 16.3). Three hour interval K indices: 34322343 (planetary), 34432323 (Boulder).

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

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

Region 11770 [S14W63] decayed quickly and quietly.
Region 11772 [S22W62] decayed rapidly and was quiet.
Region 11773 [N04W42] decayed quickly and could soon become spotless.
Region 11774 [S16W49] was quiet and stable.
Region 11775 [S26W31] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 11776 [N10W63] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 11777 [S17E30] was quiet and stable.
Region 11778 [S17E62] developed a weak magnetic delta in the southern part of the region. C5+ flare: impulsive M2.9/1N at 20:56 UTC.

Spotted regions not numbered by SWPC:
S2482 [S21W24] reemerged with penumbra spots.
S2490 [S16E12] was quiet and stable.
S2492 [N10W16] decayed slowly and quietly.
S2497 [N14W20] reemerged with a penumbra spot.
S2498 [N14E62] decayed slowly and quietly.
New region S2500 [N16E08] emerged with penumbra spots.
New region S2501 [S22W12] emerged with a few spots.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

June 22-23: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in LASCO and STEREO imagery.
June 21: The CME observed early in the associated with the M2.9 event in AR 11777 was wide. LASCO observed this as a partial halo CME.

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

A large northern hemisphere coronal hole (CH573) was in a geoeffective position on June 17-22. A recurrent trans equatorial coronal hole (CH574] will likely rotate into an Earth facing position on June 25-26.

Coronal hole map

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 June 24-25, mostly due to a high speed stream from CH573. Quiet to unsettled is likely on June 26-27 becoming quiet to minor storm on June 28-29 as a high speed stream from CH574 becomes the dominant solar wind source.

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 2K 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 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
11770 2013.06.12
2013.06.13
2 3 1 S15W63 0020 HSX AXX area: 0010
11769 2013.06.12
2013.06.13
      S22W73           merged with AR 11772
11772 2013.06.13
2013.06.14
5 7 3 S22W66 0140 CAO CAO location: S22W62 
11771 2013.06.13
2013.06.14
      S15W56           plage
11773 2013.06.14
2013.06.15
5 3   N04W47 0010 BXO AXX area: 0004
11774 2013.06.14
2013.06.15
4 12 5 S17W50 0020 HRX DRO  
11775 2013.06.14
2013.06.15
6 14 5 S26W32 0180 DSC DSC  
S2482 2013.06.15   5 1 S21W24          
S2485 2013.06.17       S24W51           plage
11776 2013.06.18 11 18 7 N11W63 0160 DSO DAO  
S2487 2013.06.18       S28W59           plage
S2490 2013.06.19   2   S16E12 0005   AXX  
11777 2013.06.19
2013.06.20
1 12 2 S15E29 0170 HSX CHO area: 0260
S2492 2013.06.20   2   N10W16 0004   BXO images/AR_S2492_20130623_2345.jpg images/AR_S2492_20130622_2345.jpg  
S2493 2013.06.20       N20W39        
S2496 2013.06.21       N02W22         plage
S2497 2013.06.21   1   N14W26 0002   AXX    
11778 2013.06.22 4 14 7 S16E61 0100 CAO DAI beta-gamma-delta
S2498 2013.06.22   1   N14E62 0002   AXX  
S2499 2013.06.22       N20W49         plage
S2500 2013.06.23   6 1 N16E08 0008   BXO    
S2501 2013.06.23   3 3 S22W12 0015   CRO    
Total spot count: 38 103 35  
Sunspot number: 118 253 135  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 71 139 71  (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): 71 89 74 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)
2011.11 153.5 (cycle peak) 96.7 (cycle peak) 61.1 (+1.2) 5.55
2012.02 106.5 32.9 66.9 (+1.4)
possible cycle 24 max
8.81
2012.03 114.7 64.3 66.8 (-0.1) 16.08
2012.04 113.0 55.2 64.6 (-2.2) 10.10
2012.05 121.5 69.0 61.7 (-2.9) 7.06
2012.06 119.6 64.5 58.9 (-2.8) 10.08
2012.07 133.9 66.5 57.7 (-1.2) 13.90
2012.08 115.4 63.0 58.1 (+0.4) 7.96
2012.09 122.9 61.4 58.1 (-0.0) 8.07
2012.10 123.3 53.3 58.6 (+0.5) 9.97
2012.11 121.3 61.8 59.7 (+1.1) 7.08
2012.12 108.6 40.8 (59.5 projected, -0.2) 3.44
2013.01 127.1 62.9 (59.1 projected, -0.4) 4.69
2013.02 104.3 38.0 (59.3 projected, +0.2) 6.11
2013.03 111.3 57.9 (58.9 projected, -0.4) 10.56
2013.04 124.8 72.4 (58.6 projected, -0.3) 5.40
2013.05 131.4 78.7 (58.7 projected, +0.1) 9.73
2013.06 110.7 (1) 57.4 (2A) / 78.3 (2B) / 51.0 (2C) (59.0 projected, +0.3) (10.98)

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) Boulder SN current month average to date. 2C) STAR SDO 1K Wolf number 30 day average.
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.