Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on October 21, 2014 at 05:30 UTC. Updates will be irregular until October 27.

[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and electron fluence charts (updated daily)]
[Solar cycles 23-24 (last update October 1, 2014)] [Cycle 24 progress (last update October 1, 2014) ]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last update October 1, 2014)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 24 (last update October 1, 2014)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (last update April 5, 2007)]
[Archived reports since January 2003 (last update October 10, 2014)]

[Noon SDO sunspot count 1K Reference: 4K (large file) (updated daily)]

[POES auroral activity level October 2009 - December 2012]
[Solar polar fields vs solar cycles - updated October 11, 2014]
[Presentations: 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013 (pdf) / 4th SSN Workshop, Locarno, 2014]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was unsettled to active on October 20. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 452 and 575 km/s under the influence of a high speed stream from CH639.

Solar flux at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 185 (increasing 46.8 over the last solar rotation). The 90 day 10.7 flux at 1 AU was 136.2. The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 21 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 20.8). Three hour interval K indices: 33433444 (planetary), 33443543 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux is at the class C2 level.

At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 7 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 237) and 6 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 148) SDO images on the visible solar disk.

Region 12187 [S09W40] was quiet and stable.
Region 12191 [S12W23] was quiet and stable.
Region 12192 [S14E36] developed further gaining area in the northwestern section. The main penumbral structure has one significant magnetic delta and several small ones. There's a moderate to high chance of a major (proton) flare until the region rotates out of view in 9-10 days time.
Region 12193 [N03W04] matured quietly.

Spotted regions not numbered (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S3921 [N15E20] was quiet and stable.
S3922 [S12E71] was quiet and stable.
New region S3924 [N22W59] emerged with a penumbra spot.

C2+ flares (GOES):

Magnitude Peak time (UTC) Location AR Comment
C2.5 00:53 S13E50 12192  
C2.8 02:01 S20E38 12192  
C3.2 02:28 S17E46 12192  
C5.4 03:57 S17E46 12192  
C9.0/1F 06:02 S17E50 12192  
M3.9/1N 09:11 S14E42 12192  
C2.8 11:27 S11E45 12192  
C2.7 14:08 S11E44 12192  
C3.1 14:43 S15E38 12192  
C8.6 15:24 S10E43 12192  
M4.5/2N 16:37 S14E37 12192  
C6.2 18:47   12192  
M1.4 19:02   12192  
M1.7 20:04 NE limb    
M1.3 20:20   12192  
M1.2/1N 22:55   12192  

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

October 18-20: 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 trans equatorial coronal hole (CH639) was in an Earth facing position on October 17-18. A recurrent trans equatorial coronal hole (CH640) will be in an Earth facing position on October 19-21.

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 fair.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to active on October 21-24 due to effects from CH639 and CH640.

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
12187 2014.10.11 1 14 5 S08W41 0160 HSX CHO area: 0270
12189 2014.10.11
2014.10.14
      N23W63           plage
S3900 2014.10.13       N03W18         plage
12191 2014.10.14
2014.10.15
2 2 2 S11W24 0010 BXO BXO  
12190 2014.10.14       N22W23          
S3910 2014.10.16       S17W06           plage
12192 2014.10.16
2014.10.17
43 115 62 S13E30 2180 FKC FKC beta-gamma-delta

location: S14E36

area: 2830

S3914 2014.10.16       N05W00           plage
S3915 2014.10.17       S24W08           plage
S3916 2014.10.17       S25W21           plage
S3917 2014.10.17       N18W40           plage
12193 2014.10.18
2014.10.19
7 24 13 N04W04 0080 DAO DAO area: 0160
S3920 2014.10.18       S05W48           plage
S3921 2014.10.19   6 4 N15E20 0014   BXO  
S3922 2014.10.19   5 2 S12E71 0160   DSO  
S3923 2014.10.19       S18W51         plage
S3924 2014.10.20   1   N22W59 0001   AXX    
Total spot count: 53 167 88  
Sunspot number: 93 237 148  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 73 197 118  (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): 56 83 81 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
2013.06 110.1 113.7 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 76.0 (+0.6) 4.68
2014.01 157.4 152.4 81.8 77.3 (+1.3) 5.44
2014.02 170.3
(cycle peak)
166.3 102.3 (cycle peak) 78.4 (+1.1) 10.70
2014.03 149.9 148.5 91.9 80.8 (+2.4) 4.88
2014.04 143.9 144.8 84.7 (82.7 projected, +1.9) 7.88
2014.05 129.7 132.9 75.2 (82.3 projected, -0.4) 5.75
2014.06 122.0 125.8 71.0 (81.1 projected, -1.2) 6.72
2014.07 137.4 141.8 72.5 (79.4 projected, -1.7) 4.50
2014.08 124.7 127.9 74.7 (77.1 projected, -2.3) 7.71
2014.09 146.2   87.6 (73.8 projected, -3.3) 9.78
2014.10 134.7 (1)   51.0 (2A) / 79.0 (2B) / 84.3 (2C) (71.4 projected, -2.4) (8.2)

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.