Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on July 12, 2022 at 08:45 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 (July 6, 2022)
Solar cycle Solar cycles 23-25 (July 1, 2022) Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (April 5, 2007)
  Cycle 24-25 progress (July 1, 2022) Noon SDO sunspot count 1K image / 4K (*)
  Solar cycles 1-24 (July 1, 2020) POES auroral activity level October 2009 - December 2012]
  Comparison of cycles 21-25 (July 1, 2022) 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013
  Comparison of cycles 12-14, 16, 24-25 (July 1, 2022) 4th SSN Workshop, Locarno, 2014
  Solar polar fields vs. solar cycles (April 10, 2022) Cycle 25 spots (final update December 25, 2019)
  Solar cycles 24-25 transition using 365d smoothing Research: Solar Cycle 25 Started on November 17, 2019 with 365 Days Smoothing

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet to active on July 11. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 320 and 393 km/sec. The high latitude magnetometer at Andenes recorded quiet to minor storm levels. A disturbance, possibly related to CH1087 began after noon.

Solar flux density measured at 20h UT on 2.8 GHz was 161.0 - increasing 15.5 over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 104.04). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 10 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 10.3). Three hour interval K indices: 10122343 (planetary), 10122333 (Boulder), 10124454 (Andenes).

The background x-ray flux is at the class C1 level (GOES 16).

At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 12 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 277) and in 9 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 168) SDO/HMI images.

Region 13046 [N17W70] decayed slowly and was mostly quiet.
Region 13051 [N28W61] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 13052 [N15W28] was quiet and stable.
Region 13053 [N14W08] decayed slowly and was mostly quiet. C1 flares: C1.5 @ 14:27, C1.4 @ 21:09, C1.5 @ 21:42, C1.3 @ 22:06, C1.3 @ 23:07 UT.
Region 13055 [S17E07] gained area, however, the negative and positive polarity areas are mostly well separated. There are a few patches with polarity intermixing and a major flare is possible. C1 flares: C1.2 @ 04:35, C1.7 @ 08:34, C1.4 @ 20:34 UT
Region 13056 [S17E51] decayed significantly after the M1.1 flare and was mostly quiet for the remainder of the day. The trailing polarity spots retained only a small amount of rudimentary penumbra. C1 flares: C1.2 @ 03:01, C1.2 @ 03:19, C1.7 @ 04:16, C1.5 @ 10:26, C1.9 @ 15:12, C1.8 @ 16:08 UT
New region 13057 [N17E70] rotated partly into view on July 10 and was numbered the next day by SWPC. The trailing spots have very small umbrae and the region was mostly quiet.

Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S7690 [S21W15] was quiet and stable.
S7695 [N22E08] was quiet and stable.
New region S7697 [S27E10] was observed with tiny spots in an old plage area.
New region S7698 [S15E23] emerged with a tiny spot.
New region S7699 [N21E24] was observed with tiny spots in an old plage area.

C2+ flares:

Magnitude Peak time (UT) Location Source Recorded by Comment
C3.0 00:11   13051 GOES16  
C4.2/1N 00:48 S18E64 13056 GOES16  
C3.5 01:12   13056 GOES16  
C8.8 01:53   13056 GOES16  
C2.5 02:20   13055 GOES16  
C2.2 05:58 S18E65 13056 GOES16  
C5.1 07:17   13046 GOES16  
M1.1/1F 09:19 S18E62 13056 GOES16  
C2.3 18:20   13057 GOES16  
C2.1 18:49   13055 GOES16  

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

July 9-11: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in available LASCO imagery.
July 8: A faint, asymmetric full halo was observed in LASCO imagery after the M2.5 LDE in AR 13053 peaking at 20:49 UT. The CME could reach Earth on July 12.

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, poorly defined northern hemisphere coronal hole (CH1087) was in an Earth facing position on July 9-10.

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.

Forecast

Quiet to active conditions are likely on July 12-13 with a chance of minor storm intervals due to effects from CH1087 and possibly a CME. Quiet conditions are likely on July 14-15.

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 colored red.

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
13046 2022.06.30
2022.07.01
1 2 1 N16W70 0010 HRX AXX

area: 0006

location: N17W70

13049 2022.07.01
2022.07.03
      S12W63           location: S12W44
13051 2022.07.02
2022.07.04
2 3 2 N26W62 0010 AXX HRX

location: N28W61

13050 2022.07.02
2022.07.04
      N18W68            
13052 2022.07.04
2022.07.05
1 3 1 N14W28 0010 HRX CRO  
13053 2022.07.04
2022.07.05
24 44 23 N16W06 0410 EKI EKI

location: N14W08

S7685 2022.07.05       S13W11            
13055 2022.07.06
2022.07.07
25 43 28 S16E05 0960 EKC EKC

location: S17E07

S7688 2022.07.07       N17W44            
S7689 2022.07.07       N21W54            
S7690 2022.07.07   6   S21W15 0008   AXX  
S7691 2022.07.08       N18E22            
S7692 2022.07.09       N45W16            
13056 2022.07.09
2022.07.10
9 21 12 S17E54 0200 CAO DAI

location: S17E51

S7695 2022.07.09   11 2 N22E08 0020   BXO  
13057 2022.07.10
2022.07.11
2 14 8 N17E68 0220 DSO EHO area: 0450

location: N17E70

S7697 2022.07.11   5   S27E10 0008   BXO    
S7698 2022.07.11   1   S15E23 0002   AXX    
S7699 2022.07.11   4 1 N21E24 0008   BXO    
Total spot count: 64 157 78  
Sunspot number: 134 277 168  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 100 198 119  (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): 147 152 134  

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 (SC24 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
2020.12 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 8.2 19.0 (+1.7) 9.50
2021.03 76.0 75.2 17.2 21.7 (+2.7) 10.17
2021.04 75.9 76.4 24.5 24.8 (+3.1) 8.40
2021.05 75.3 77.1 21.2 25.8 (+1.0) 6.50
2021.06 79.4 81.8 25.0 27.6 (+1.8) 5.52
2021.07 81.0 83.6 34.3 31.3 (+3.7) 5.51
2021.08 77.7 79.7 22.0 35.3 (+4.0) 6.19
2021.09 87.0 88.2 51.3 40.0 (+4.7) 6.33
2021.10 88.9 88.3 37.4 45.0 (+5.0) 7.38
2021.11 86.2 84.4 34.8 50.6 (+5.6) 9.83
2021.12 103.0 99.8 67.5 55.7 (+5.1) 6.40
2022.01 103.8 100.5 54.0 (59.5 projected, +3.8) 8.92
2022.02 109.1 106.5 59.7 (65.1 projected, +5.6) 10.46
2022.03 117.0 115.8 78.5 (70.5 projected, +5.4) 10.20
2022.04 130.8 131.7 84.1 (75.7 projected, +5.2) 11.79
2022.05 133.8 136.8 96.5 (82.2 projected, +6.5) 7.48
2022.06 116.1 119.8 70.6 (88.1 projected, +5.9) 8.20
2022.07 121.0 (1)   29.4 (2A) / 82.9 (2B) / 112.3 (2C) (95.3 projected, +7.2) (10.3)
2022.08       (101.9 projected, +6.6)  
2022.09       (106.9 projected, +5.0)  
2022.10       (110.1 projected, +3.2)  
2022.11       (112.9 projected, +2.8)  
2022.12       (117.7 projected, +4.8)  
2023.11       (141.4 projected max SC25)  

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

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.