Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on October 29, 2022 at 11:40 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 (October 6, 2022)
Solar cycle Solar cycles 23-25 (October 1, 2022) Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (April 5, 2007)
  Cycle 24-25 progress (October 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 (October 1, 2022) 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013
  Comparison of cycles 12-14, 16, 24-25 (October 1, 2022) 4th SSN Workshop, Locarno, 2014
  Solar polar fields vs. solar cycles (August 21, 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 October 28, under the influence of a high speed stream from CH1109 after 15h UT. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 379 and 603 km/sec. The high latitude magnetometer at Andenes recorded quiet to major storm levels.

Solar flux density measured at 20h UT on 2.8 GHz was 129.3 - decreasing 18.6 over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 117.48). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 15 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 14.8). Three hour interval K indices: 22322434 (planetary), 23323533 (Boulder), 42323656 (Andenes).

The background x-ray flux is at the class B7 level (GOES 16).

At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 10 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 194) and in 7 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 116) SDO/HMI images.

Region 13130 [S23W57] was mostly quiet and stable. C1 flares: C1.0 @ 08:38 UT
Region 13131 [N22E17] was quiet and stable.
Region 13132 [S11W63] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 13133 [N27E34] gained spots and was mostly quiet.
New region 13134 [N12E13] was first observed with spots on October 24 with SWPC numbering the region 4 days later.
New region 13135 [N27E65] rotated into view on October 27 and got its NOAA number the following day as the region developed slowly. C1 flares: C1.0 @ 16:53, C1.3 @ 20:29, C1.6 @ 22:22 UT

Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S7957 [S18W64] decayed slowly and quietly.
S7959 [N16E57] was quiet and stable.
New region S7960 [S14E35] was observed with tiny spots in an old plage area.
New region S7961 [N12E02] emerged with tiny spots.

AR 13126 behind the southwest limb was the source of a C1.1 flare at 00:16 UT.

C2+ flares:

Magnitude Peak time (UT) Location Source Recorded by Comment
           

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

October 26-28: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in available 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 recurrent northern hemisphere coronal hole (CH1108) was in an Earth facing position on October 24-25. A recurrent trans equatorial coronal hole (CH1109) will rotate across the central meridian on October 26-28. Another recurrent trans equatorial coronal hole will likely become Earth facing on November 1.

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 minor storm conditions are likely on October 29 - November 2, first due to effects from CH1108, then on October 29-31 due to effects from CH1109 and on November 1-2 from CH1110. Quiet to unsettled conditions are likely on November 3 becoming quiet to active on November 4-5 due to effects from CH1111.

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
13127 2022.10.17
2022.10.20
      S22W89            
13130 2022.10.20
2022.10.23
10 24 11 S25W58 0080 DAI DAI area: 0180

location: S23W57

S7946 2022.10.21       S27W22            
S7948 2022.10.22       N14W54            
S7950 2022.10.23       N18W31          
13131 2022.10.23
2022.10.24
3 14 4 N22E16 0150 CSO DSO area: 0240

location: N22E17

S7952 2022.10.23       S14W31            
13132 2022.10.24
2022.10.25
1 1 1 S11W63 0010 AXX HRX

 

13134 2022.10.24
2022.10.28
2 10 5 N12E14 0010 BXO BXO area: 0020
13133 2022.10.24
2022.10.25
8 30 19 N26E33 0140 DAO DRI

area: 0090

location: N27E34

S7957 2022.10.27   1   S18W04 0001   AXX  
13135 2022.10.27
2022.10.28
3 4 4 N27E65 0020 BXO DAO area: 0080
S7959 2022.10.27   1   N27E34 0001   AXX  
S7960 2022.10.28   4   S14E35 0006   BXO    
S7961 2022.10.28   5 2 N12E02 0010   BXO    
Total spot count: 27 94 46  
Sunspot number: 87 194 116  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 42 115 67  (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): 96 107 93  

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
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 31.4 (+3.8) 5.51
2021.08 77.7 79.7 22.0 35.4 (+4.0) 6.19
2021.09 87.0 88.2 51.3 40.2 (+4.8) 6.33
2021.10 88.9 88.3 37.4 45.2 (+5.0) 7.38
2021.11 86.2 84.4 34.8 50.8 (+5.6) 9.83
2021.12 103.0 99.8 67.5 55.9 (+5.1) 6.40
2022.01 103.8 100.5 55.3 60.1 (+4.2) 8.92
2022.02 109.1 106.5 60.9 64.8 (+4.7) 10.46
2022.03 117.0 115.8 78.6 68.9 (+4.1) 10.20
2022.04 130.8 131.7 84.0 (74.2 projected, +5.3) 11.79
2022.05 133.8 136.8 96.5 (80.6 projected, +6.4) 7.48
2022.06 116.1 119.8 70.3 (86.5 projected, +5.9) 8.20
2022.07 125.4 129.5 91.4 (93.7 projected, +7.2) 9.51
2022.08 114.2 117.1 75.4 (100.2 projected, +6.5) 10.92
2022.09 135.1 136.5 96.3 (105.2 projected, +5.0) 12.18
2022.10 133.8 (1)   78.1 (2A) / 86.5 (2B) / 105.1 (2C) (108.3 projected, +3.1) (11.0)
2022.11       (111.2 projected, +2.9)  
2022.12       (115.9 projected, +4.7)  
2023.01       (122.0 projected, +6.1)  
2023.02       (127.0 projected, +5.0)  
2023.03       (130.0 projected, +3.0)  
2023.11       (142.5 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.