Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on October 20, 2013 at 07:00 UTC. Updates are likely to be irregular or very late until October 25.

[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and electron fluence charts (updated daily)]
[Solar cycles 23-24 (last update October 1, 2013)] [Cycle 24 progress (last update October 1, 2013) ]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last update October 1, 2013)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 24 (last update October 1, 2013)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (last update April 5, 2007)]
[Archived reports since January 2003 (last update October 9, 2013)]

[POES auroral activity level since October 2009 - updated January 26, 2013]
[Solar polar fields vs solar cycles - updated October 10, 2013]
[Presentation 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013 (pdf)]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was inactive on October 19. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 298 and 361 km/s.

Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 132.7 (increasing 21.5 over the last solar rotation). The 90 day 10.7 flux at 1 AU was 113.1. The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 2 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 1.8). Three hour interval K indices: 00000000 (planetary), 00022211 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux was at the class B9 level.

At the time of counting spots (see image time) spots were observed in 9 active regions in 2K resolution (SN: 185) and 9 active regions in 1K resolution (SN: 143) SDO images on the visible solar disk.

Region 11864 [S22W79] was quiet and stable.
Region 11872 [S17E16] was quiet and stable.
Region 11873 [N11E21] was quiet and stable.
Region 11874 [S11W05] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 11875  [N06E44] decayed substantially in the trailing spot section.
Region 11877 [S12E64] was mostly quiet and stable.

Spotted regions not numbered by SWPC:
S2753 [N18W03] decayed slowly and quietly.
S2760 [S10W48] developed as new flux emerged.
S2764 [N22W29] decayed slowly and quietly.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

October 17-19: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in LASCO and 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

A recurrent coronal hole (CH591) in the northern hemisphere rotated across the central meridian on October 17. CH591 may be too far to the north to cause geomagnetic effects.

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 fair. Propagation on long distance northeast-southwest paths is poor.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet on October 19-22. There's a chance of weak coronal hole effects and quiet to unsettled conditions due to CH591 on October 20-21.

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
11861 2013.10.06
2013.10.07
9     S07W91 0240 EAC     rotated out of view
11864 2013.10.07
2013.10.08
1 2 2 S22W85 0030 HAX CRO

location: S22W79

11865 2013.10.08       S23W78           part of AR 11864
11868 2013.10.11
2013.10.13
3     N23W30 0040 CAO       actual location: N17W32, SWPC has moved this region to the location of AR S2764
11869 2013.10.12
2013.10.13
1     N20W05 0020 HRX     plage

location: N20W15

S2753 2013.10.13   6 3 N18W03 0025   BXO  
11870 2013.10.13
2013.10.14
3     S15W72 0010 BXO     plage
S2756 2013.10.13       S08W21           plage
11871 2013.10.14       N16W05           plage
11872 2013.10.14
2013.10.15
1 6 4 S17E15 0080 HSX CSO

area: 0140

11873 2013.10.14
2013.10.16
6 23 11 N12E23 0020 CRO BXI area: 0060
S2759 2013.10.14       S27W40           plage
S2760 2013.10.14   6 3 S10W48 0040   DRO  
11874 2013.10.16
2013.10.17
6 11 6 S11W06 0040 DAO DRI  
11875 2013.10.16
2013.10.17
15 30 17 N08E46 0150 ESI DSI area: 0220
S2764 2013.10.16   4 3 N22W29 0020   DRI  
S2767 2013.10.17       S05E27           plage
11877 2013.10.18 4 7 4 S12E61 0260 CKO CHO area: 0350

location: S12E64

S2769 2013.10.18       N17E41         plage
S2770 2013.10.18       S22W07         plage
S2771 2013.10.18       S13W21         plage
S2772 2013.10.18       N13W31         plage
Total spot count: 49 95 53  
Sunspot number: 149 185 143  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 95 127 80  (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): 89 65 79 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)
likely cycle 24 max
8.81
2012.06 119.6 64.5 58.9 (-2.8) 10.08
2012.07 133.9 66.5 57.8 (-1.1) 13.90
2012.08 115.4 63.0 58.2 (+0.4) 7.96
2012.09 122.9 61.4 58.1 (-0.1) 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 59.6 (-0.1) 3.44
2013.01 127.1 62.9 58.7 (-0.9) 4.69
2013.02 104.3 38.0 58.4 (-0.3) 6.11
2013.03 111.3 57.9 57.5 (-0.9) 10.56
2013.04 124.8 72.4 (56.2 projected, -1.3) 5.40
2013.05 131.4 78.7 (55.8 projected, -0.4) 9.73
2013.06 110.1 52.5 (56.0 projected, +0.2) 12.60
2013.07 115.5 57.0 (56.1 projected, +0.1) 9.47
2013.08 114.6 66.0 (55.9 projected, -0.2) 8.27
2013.09 102.6 36.9 (55.4 projected, -0.5) 5.23
2013.10  120.0 (1) 65.1 (2A) / 106.2 (2B) / 61.2 (2C) (53.9 projected, -1.5) (9.89)

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 the 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.