Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on May 23, 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 May 1, 2013)] [Cycle 24 progress (last update April 7, 2013) ]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last update May 1, 2013)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 24 (last update May 1, 2013)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (last update April 5, 2007)]
[Archived reports since January 2003 (last update May 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 unsettled on May 22. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 444 and 477 km/s.

Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 133.4 (increasing 14.2 over the last solar rotation). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 10 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 9.9). Three hour interval K indices: 32223332 (planetary), 32223322 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux was at the class B8 level.

At midnight UTC the visible solar disk had 10 spotted active regions (in 2K resolution SDO images).

Region 11745 [N14W81] decayed slowly. C5+ flare: major M5.0/3N long duration proton flare peaking at 13:32 UTC. A large, wide and fast partial halo CME was observed from 13:09 UT in STEREO-A images and from 13:30 UT in LASCO.
Region 11746 [S28W77] was quiet and stable.
Region 11748 [N14W44] decayed further and was mostly quiet.
Region 11753 [N04E34] was quiet and stable.
Region 11754 [S18E23] was quiet and stable.
Region 11755 [N10E55] developed further and has a magnetic delta structure in the trailing penumbra. C and M flares are possible.
Region 11756 [S20E41] developed quickly and has significant polarity intermixing. C and M flares are possible.

Spotted regions not numbered by SWPC:
S2431 [S19W01] lost the trailing polarity spot.
S2432 [S17E28] was quiet and stable.
New region S2438 [N17W06] emerged with a penumbra spot.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

May 20-21: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in LASCO and STEREO imagery.
May 22: A partial halo CME was observed in LASCO imagery after the M5 event in AR 11745. Earth could receive a glancing blow on May 24/25.

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 Earth facing positions.

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 poor to fair.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet on May 23 and quiet to minor storm on May 24-25 due to CME effects.

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
11745 2013.05.10 3 4 1 N13W80 0100 CAO HRX

area: 0040

11746 2013.05.10
2013.05.11
1 1 1 S28W76 0080 HSX HSX  
11747 2013.05.12       S17W87           plage
11751 2013.05.12
2013.05.15
      S23W71           plage
11748 2013.05.13 7 8 4 N12W42 0060 DAO DRO beta-gamma

area: 0040

location: N14W44

S2419 2013.05.14       S17W44           plage
S2424 2013.05.16       S29W51           plage
11754 2013.05.18
2013.05.20
3 11 5 S19E23 0040 CRO CRO

 

11753 2013.05.19
2013.05.20
3 22 7 N04E36 0020 CRO DRI  
S2429 2013.05.19       S21W54           plage
11756 2013.05.20
2013.05.21
13 48 18 S20E41 0230 DAI EAI beta-gamma

area: 0450

S2431 2013.05.20   4   S19W01 0006   AXX  
S2432 2013.05.20   3 1 S17E28 0008   AXX  
11755 2013.05.20
2013.05.21
7 20 6 N10E52 0250 DSI EAC beta-gamma-delta
S2434 2013.05.20       N12W29           plage
S2435 2013.05.20       N28W14           plage
S2436 2013.05.21       N05E20         plage
S2437 2013.05.21       N15E14         plage
S2438 2013.05.22   1   N17W06 0002   AXX    
Total spot count: 37 122 43  
Sunspot number: 107 222 123  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 68 149 70  (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): 64 78 68 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 max) 96.7 (cycle max) 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 (59.1 projected, +0.5) 7.08
2012.12 108.6 40.8 (58.4 projected, -0.7) 3.44
2013.01 127.1 62.9 (58.0 projected, -0.4) 4.69
2013.02 104.3 38.0 (58.2 projected, +0.5) 6.11
2013.03 111.3 57.9 (57.8 projected, -0.4) 10.56
2013.04 124.8 72.4 (57.4 projected, -0.4) 5.40
2013.05 138.3 (1) 100.5 (2A) / 141.6 (2B) / 82.2 (2C) (57.5 projected, +0.1) (7.91)

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.