Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on June 10, 2014 at 04:40 UTC. Minor update posted at 17:45 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, 2014)] [Cycle 24 progress (last update June 1, 2014) ]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last update June 1, 2014)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 24 (last update June 1, 2014)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (last update April 5, 2007)]
[Archived reports since January 2003 (last update May 1, 2014)]

[POES auroral activity level October 2009 - December 2012]
[Solar polar fields vs solar cycles - updated June 4, 2014]
[Presentations: 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013 (pdf) / 4th SSN Workshop, Locarno, 2014]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet on June 9. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 443 and 657 km/s under the influence of CME effects.

Solar flux at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 161.2 (increasing 1.8 over the last solar rotation). The 90 day 10.7 flux at 1 AU was 161.2. The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 5 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 4.8). Three hour interval K indices: 01221021 (planetary), 11332211 (Boulder).

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

At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 13 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 310) and 11 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 213) SDO images on the visible solar disk.

Region 12077 [S03W67] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 12079 [N12W41] developed slowly and quietly.
Region 12080 [S12W23] gained area and still has a weak magnetic delta. An M class flare is possible.
Region 12081 [N04W33] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 12082 [N15W16] was quiet and stable.
Region 12084 [S12W57] was quiet and stable.
Region 12085 [S20W17] extended further and gained penumbral area. There is still a weak magnetic delta and a major flare is possible.
New region 12086 [N03E21] emerged on June 8 and was numbered the next day by SWPC.

Spotted regions not numbered (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S3510 [S12W06] was quiet and stable.
S3515 [S18E07] was quiet and stable.
New region S3523 [S18E82] rotated into view and may be capable of producing minor M class flares.
New region S3524 [S14E44] emerged with a penumbra spot.
New region S3525 [N01W07] was observed with penumbra spots.

Minor update added at 17:45 UTC: AR S3523 (NOAA: 12087) has rotated into better view revealing a strong magnetic delta structure. The region produced 2 X flares within a hours today, first an X2.2 impulsive flare at 11:42 and then an X1.5/1F event at 12:52 UTC. Further X class flares are possible as long as the magnetic delta structure exists.

C2+ Flares (GOES):

Magnitude Time (UTC) Location AR
C3.7 01:20 S20E00 12085
C4.9 04:22   S3523
C2.2 07:25 S12W18 12080
C9.0/1B 12:29 S19W12 12085
C8.8 17:08   S3523

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

June 7-9: 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 small trans equatorial coronal hole (CH622) rotated into an Earth facing position on June 8-9.

Coronal hole map

Propagation

Long distance low and medium frequency (below 2 MHz) propagation along paths north of due west over upper middle latitudes is poor. Propagation on long distance northeast-southwest paths is poor.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet on June 10-11. Late on June 11 and on June 12 there is a chance of unsettled intervals due to effects from CH622.

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: 0-30% probability, Yellow: 30-70% probability, Red: 70-100% 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 Magnetic
(SDO)
SWPC STAR Current Previous
2K 1K
12077 2014.05.30 1 2 2 S03W66 0030 HAX HRX

 

12079 2014.05.31
2014.06.01
6 15 10 N13W42 0110 DAO DSI area: 0200
12081 2014.06.01
2014.06.04
  4   N05W41 0007   AXX location: N04W33
S3496 2014.06.02       N17W39           plage
12080 2014.06.02
2014.06.03
26 53 24 S12W23 0300 EKC EKC beta-gamma-delta

area: 0600

S3499 2014.06.03       S09W29           plage
S3501 2014.06.04       S23W23           plage
S3502 2014.06.04       S12W40           plage
12082 2014.06.04
2014.06.05
9 25 18 N16W14 0210 DAI DKI area: 0320
S3505 2014.06.05       S15E07           plage
12085 2014.06.05
2014.06.06
32 51 29 S20W16 0840 EKC EAC beta-gamma-delta

area: 0900

12084 2014.06.06 5 8 4 S12W56 0010 BXO DRO  
S3507 2014.06.06       N12W50           plage
S3510 2014.06.06   5 5 S12W06 0013   AXX  
S3512 2014.06.07       N16E43         plage
S3515 2014.06.07   5 1 S18E07 0013   BXO  
S3516 2014.06.07       N22E37           plage
12086 2014.06.08 3 9 5 N03E21 0010 BXO BXO area: 0024
S3519 2014.06.08       S32W40         plage
S3523 2014.06.09   3 2 S18E82 0200   DAO    
S3524 2014.06.09   1   S14E44 0002   AXX    
S3525 2014.06.09   2 2 N01W07 0007   AXX    
Total spot count: 82 185 102  
Sunspot number: 152 315 212  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 117 226 143  (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): 91 110 117 k * (sunspot number). k = 0.6 for SWPC, k = 0.35 for MSN 2K, k = 0.55 for MSN 1K (MSN=Magnetic Sunspot Number)

Monthly solar cycle data

Month Average solar flux International sunspot number
(WDC-SILSO)
Smoothed sunspot number Average ap
(3)
Measured 1 AU
2013.02 104.3 101.8 38.0 58.4 (-0.3) 6.11
2013.03 111.3 110.2 57.9 57.5 (-0.9) 10.56
2013.04 124.8 125.9 72.4 57.9 (+0.4) 5.40
2013.05 131.4 134.3 78.7 59.9 (+2.0) 9.73
2013.06 110.1 113.7 52.5 62.6 (+2.7) 12.60
2013.07 115.5 119.3 57.0 65.5 (+2.9) 9.47
2013.08 114.6 118.3 66.0 69.0 (+3.5) 8.27
2013.09 102.6 103.7 36.9 73.1 (+4.1) 5.23
2013.10  132.1 131.2 85.6 75.0 (+1.9) 7.71
2013.11  148.3 145.1 77.6 75.4 (+0.4) 5.68
2013.12 147.7 143.1 90.3 (75.8 projected, +0.4) 4.68
2014.01 157.4 152.4 82.0 (76.4 projected, +0.6) 5.44
2014.02 170.3
(cycle peak)
166.3 102.8 (cycle peak) (76.2 projected, -0.2) 10.70
2014.03 149.9 148.5 92.2 (76.6 projected, +0.4) 4.88
2014.04 143.9 144.8 84.7 (75.8 projected, -0.8) 7.88
2014.05 129.7 132.9 75.2 (73.2 projected, -2.6) 5.75
2014.06 123.4 (1)    31.3 (2A) / 104.4 (2B) / 87.8 (2C) (70.5 projected, -2.7) (9.1)

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 WDC-SILSO 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 GFZ 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.