Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on August 29, 2021 at 06:20 UT.

Charts (* = updated daily) Data and archive
  Solar wind (*) Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (*)
  Electron fluence (*) Archived daily reports and monthly data since 2003.01 (August 2, 2021)
Solar cycle Solar cycles 23-25 (August 2, 2021) Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (April 5, 2007)
  Cycle 24-25 progress (August 2, 2021) Noon SDO sunspot count 1K image / 4K (*)
  Solar cycles 1-24 (June 1, 2020) POES auroral activity level October 2009 - December 2012]
  Comparison of cycles 21-25 (August 2, 2021) 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013
  Comparison of cycles 12-14, 16, 24-25 (August 2, 2021) 4th SSN Workshop, Locarno, 2014
  Solar polar fields vs. solar cycles (August 22, 2021) Cycle 25 spots (final update December 25, 2019)
  Solar cycles 24-25 using 365d smoothing Research: Solar Cycle 25 Started on November 17, 2019 with 365 Days Smoothing

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet to minor storm on August 28 due to effects associated with the August 23 full halo CME. The high latitude magnetometer at Andenes recorded quiet to major storm conditions.

Solar flux density measured at 20h UT on 2.8 GHz was 89.9 - increasing 15.0 over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 78.00). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 13 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 13.3). Three hour interval K indices: 53331220 (planetary), 53432321 (Boulder), 65432531 (Andenes).

The background x-ray flux is at the class B2 level (GOES 16).

At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 4 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 122) and in 4 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 85) SDO/HMI images.

Region 12859 [N18W19] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 12860 [S27W11] was very active during the first half of the day producing M and C flares. There are at least 2 magnetic delta structures in the northern trailing penumbra and further M class events are possible. The following C1 flares were recorded: C1.7 at 12:50, C1.3 at 13:40, C1.6 at 14:16 and C1.4 at 16:43 UT.

Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S7052 [S18E24] was quiet and stable.
New region S7053 [S27W68] emerged to the east of AR 12862.

C2+ flares:

Magnitude Peak time (UT) Location AR Recorded by Comment
C7.0 05:05 S31E07 12860 GOES16 weak type II radio sweep
M4.7/1N 06:11 S28W01 12860 GOES16 LDE, partial halo CME
weak type II and IV radio sweeps
M1.1 06:52   12860 Learmonth  
C4.2 08:46 S26W01 12860 GOES16  
C4.6 10:17 S29W02 12860 San Vito  
C2.7 11:55 S27W04 12860 GOES16  

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

August 28: A faint partial halo CME was observed in LASCO imagery following the M4.7 flare in AR 12860. The CME could reach Earth on August 31.
August 27
: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in available LASCO imagery.
August 26: A faint full halo CME was observed after a C3 flare in AR 12859 and an associated erupting filament. The CME will likely reach Earth on August 29.

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.

Propagation

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

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to minor storm on August 29-31 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: 0-30% probability, Yellow: 30-70% probability, Red: 70-100% probability.

Active solar regions


(Click on image for 2K resolution). 4K 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 officially numbered solar regions according to the Solar Region Summary provided by NOAA/SWPC, all other regions are numbered sequentially as they emerge using the STAR spot number. 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. SWPC data considered to be not sufficiently precise (location, area, classification) are red colored.

Active region SWPC date numbered
STAR detected
Spot count Location at midnight Area Classification SDO / HMI 4K continuum
image with magnetic polarity overlays
Comment
SWPC/
USAF
Magnetic
(SDO)
SWPC STAR Current Previous
2K 1K
S7040 2021.08.18       S25W44            
12859 2021.08.20
2021.08.21
7 11 4 N18W18 0040 CAO CRO  
S7044 2021.08.23       N31W40            
12860 2021.08.24
2021.08.24
27 65 36 S29W10 0340 EKI EKC location: S27W11

area: 0600

beta-gamma-delta

S7048 2021.08.24       N23W20            
12861 2021.08.25
2021.08.26
1     N16E28 0010 AXX     spotless
S7050 2021.08.26       N22E06          
12862 2021.08.26
2021.08.27
2     S28W81 0010 BXO     spotless
S7052 2021.08.26   2 2 S18E24 0008   CRO  
S7053 2021.08.28   4 3 S27W68 0015   BXO    
Total spot count: 37 82 45  
Sunspot number: 77 122 85  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 52 98 61  (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): 85 67 68  

Monthly solar cycle data

Month Average solar flux International sunspot number
(WDC-SILSO)
Smoothed sunspot number (4) Average ap
(3)
Measured 1 AU
2014.02 170.3
(cycle peak)
166.3 146.1 (cycle peak) 110.5 10.70
2014.04 143.9 144.8 112.5 116.4 (solar max) 7.88
2017.09 91.3 92.3 43.6 18.2 (-1.3) 18.22
(cycle peak)
2019.11 70.2 68.7 0.5 2.0 (-0.6)
(Solar minimum using 365d smoothing:
November 17, 2019)
4.19
2019.12 70.8 68.6 1.6 1.8 (-0.2)
(ISN 13 months smoothed
solar minimum)
3.22
2020.02 71.0 69.3 0.4 2.7 (+0.5) 6.16
2020.03 70.2 69.5 1.5 3.0 (+0.3) 5.63
2020.04 69.5 70.0 5.4 3.6 (+0.6) 5.32
2020.05 69.0 70.6 0.2 5.6 (+2.0) 3.80
2020.06 69.5 71.7 5.8 7.9 (+2.3) 3.75
2020.07 69.5 71.8 6.3 9.0 (+1.1) 4.28
2020.08 71.6 73.4 7.6 9.5 (+0.5) 5.68
2020.09 70.7 71.4 0.7 10.5 (+1.0) 8.59
2020.10 74.6 74.2 14.6 11.9 (+1.4) 6.13
2020.11 89.9 88.0 34.5 13.6 (+1.7) 4.77
2020.12 86.9 84.2 23.1 15.3 (+1.7) 4.72
2021.01 76.0 73.6 10.4 17.3 (+2.0) 4.39
2021.02 74.3 72.4 8.3 (19.8 projected, +2.5) 9.50
2021.03 76.0 75.2 17.3 (23.2 projected, +3.4) 10.17
2021.04 75.9 76.4 24.5 (27.3 projected, +4.1) 8.40
2021.05 75.3 77.1 21.2 (30.0 projected, +2.7) 6.50
2021.06 79.4 81.8 25.3 (33.2 projected, +3.2) 5.52
2021.07 81.0 83.6 34.4 (37.8 projected, +4.6) 5.51
2021.08 76.7 (1)   18.5 (2A) / 20.5 (2B) / 26.3 (2C) (42.5 projected, +4.7) (6.0)
2021.09       (48.2 projected, +5.7)  
2021.10       (52.6 projected, +4.4)  
2021.11       (57.2 projected, +4.6)  
2021.12       (63.0 projected, +5.8)  
2022.01       (66.6 projected, +3.6)  

1) Running average based on the daily 20:00 UTC observed solar flux value at 2800 MHz and any corrections applied to that measurement.
2A) Current impact on the monthly sunspot number based on the Boulder (NOAA/SWPC) sunspot number (accumulated daily sunspots / month days).
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.
4) Source: SIDC-SILSO.

Solar cycles 24-25 transition

Smoothed SF and sunspot numbers

 

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 Universal Time. Comments and suggestions are always welcome.

SDO images are courtesy of NASA/SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams.