Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on February 5, 2015 at 05:45 UTC.

[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and electron fluence charts (updated daily)]
[Solar cycles 23-24 (last update February 1, 2015)] [Cycle 24 progress (last update February 1, 2015) ]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last update February 1, 2015)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 24 (last update February 1, 2015)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (last update April 5, 2007)]
[Archived reports since January 2003 (last update February 1, 2015)]

[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 January 25, 2015]
[Presentations: 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013 (pdf) / 4th SSN Workshop, Locarno, 2014]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet to unsettled on February 4. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 393 and 484 km/s.

Solar flux at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 154.4 (decreasing 2.8 over the last solar rotation). The 90 day 10.7 flux at 1 AU was 148.7. The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 7 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 7.3). Three hour interval K indices: 22123312 (planetary), 21123211 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux is at the class B6 level.

At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 10 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 255) and 7 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 153) SDO images on the visible solar disk.

Region 12277 [N09W16] developed gaining many new spots, particularly in the northern part of the trailing spot section. A magnetic delta developed and the region could produce further M class flares.
Region 12280 [S08E28] developed a magnetic delta centrally and could produce a minor M class flare.
Region 12281 [N12E65] was quiet and stable.

Spotted regions not numbered (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S4186 [S17W12 was quiet and stable.
S4192 [S11E13] was quiet and stable.
S4195 [N08E09] was quiet and stable.
New region S4198 [S19E39] was observed with penumbra spots.
New region S4199 [S32E07] emerged with a penumbra spot.
New region S4200 [S21W38] emerged with a penumbra spot.
New region S4201 [N06W57] was observed with a penumbra spot.

C2+ flares (GOES):

Magnitude Peak time (UTC) Location AR Comment
M1.2/2N 02:15 N10W14 12277  
C2.2 10:07 N04W24 12277  
C3.0 (LDE) 19:12 S09E47 12280  

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

February 2-4: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in LASCO 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 poorly defined trans equatorial coronal hole (CH652) will rotate across the central meridian on February 5-6.

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 to fair.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to unsettled on February 5-7.

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
12278 2015.01.25
2015.01.29
      S08W60         plage
12272 2015.01.25
2015.01.26
      N13W64         plage
12276 2015.01.27
2015.01.28
      S07W76           plage
12277 2015.01.27
2015.01.28
34 104 57 N08W18 0490 FKI FAC beta-gamma-delta

location: N09W16

S4186 2015.01.30   5 2 S17W12 0010   BXO images/AR_S4186_20150203_2345.png  
12279 2015.01.31
2015.02.02
1     S19W85 0010 AXX     rotatred out of view

real location: S19W91

S4191 2015.02.01       N36E02           plage
S4192 2015.02.01   7 4 S11E13 0020   AXX  
12280 2015.02.02 7 23 11 S08E30 0150 DAC DAC beta-gamma-delta
12281 2015.02.03 3 7 6 N13E61 0050 CAO CAO area: 0110
S4195 2015.02.03   2 2 N08E09 0008   BXO  
S4196 2015.02.03       N15E19         plage
S4198 2015.02.04   4 1 S19E39 0010   AXX    
S4199 2015.02.04   1   S32E07 0001   AXX    
S4200 2015.02.04   1   S21W38 0002   AXX    
S4201 2015.02.04   1   N06W57 0002   AXX  

 

Total spot count: 45 155 83  
Sunspot number: 85 255 153  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 65 170 98  (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): 51 89 84 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
2013.09 102.6 103.7 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 81.9 (+1.1)
(likely solar max)
7.88
2014.05 129.7 132.9 75.2 80.5 (-1.4) 5.75
2014.06 122.0 125.8 71.0 79.7 (-0.8) 6.72
2014.07 137.4 141.8 72.5 78.6 (-1.1) 4.50
2014.08 124.7 127.9 74.7 (76.2 projected, -2.4) 7.71
2014.09 146.6 148.1 87.6 (73.0 projected, -3.2) 9.78
2014.10 153.4 152.9 60.6 (70.5 projected, -2.5) 8.96
2014.11 154.8 151.4 70.1 (68.8 projected, -1.7) 9.33
2014.12 158.7 153.8 78.0 (67.7 projected, -1.1) 11.24
2015.01 141.9 137.3 67.0 (66.5 projected, -1.2) 8.9
2015.02 147.4 (1)   15.9 (2A) / 111.5 (2B) / 78.8 (2C) (64.9 projected, -1.6) (15.8)

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.