Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on September 2, 2022 at 04:15 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 (September 1, 2022)
Solar cycle Solar cycles 23-25 (September 1, 2022) Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (April 5, 2007)
  Cycle 24-25 progress (September 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 (September 1, 2022) 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013
  Comparison of cycles 12-14, 16, 24-25 (September 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 unsettled on September 1, weakly under the influence of CME effects. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 452 and 612 km/sec. The high latitude magnetometer at Andenes recorded quiet to active levels.

Solar flux density measured at 20h UT on 2.8 GHz was 116.3 - increasing 4.1 over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 110.03). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 8 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 8.1). Three hour interval K indices: 33221111 (planetary), 24222211 (Boulder), 44322333 (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 5 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 137) and in 5 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 97) SDO/HMI images.

Region 13089 [S22W34] developed again after noon as new negative polarity flux emerged to the southwest of the largest positive polarity spot. A major flare is possible. C1 flares: C1.1 @ 06:40, C1.5 @ 22:13 UT
New region 13092 [S10E68] rotated into view on August 31 and was numbered by SWPC the next day. C1 flares: C1.3 @ 01:20, C1.6 @ 12:20, C1.2 @ 19:14, C1.0 @ 19:59 UT

Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S7822 [N20E18] was quiet and stable.
S7828 [S28E54] gained spots and was quiet.
New region S7829 [S20W69] emerged to the northeast of AR 13086 with a few spots. C1 flares: C1.0 @ 09:53, C1.6 @ 12:20 UT

C2+ flares:

Magnitude Peak time (UT) Location Source Recorded by Comment
C4.1 13:58   13092 GOES16  

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

August 30 - September 1: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed.

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 large trans equatorial coronal hole (CH1097) will be Earth facing on September 1-3.

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 unsettled is expected for September 2-3 becoming quiet to minor storm on September 4-5 due to effects from CH1097.

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
13086 2022.08.21
2022.08.23
3     S22W78 0010 CRO       spotless

location: S23W78

SWPC counts the spots of AR S7829 in this group

13087 2022.08.22
2022.08.23
      S14W55          
13090 2022.08.23
2022.08.25
      N16W33         location: N18W31
13089 2022.08.24 20 52 28 S22W33 0350 EKI FKC beta-gamma-delta

location: S22W21

area: 0640

S7816 2022.08.26       S13W02            
13091 2022.08.28
2022.09.01
1     N14W17 0010 AXX     spotless
S7822 2022.08.28   13 7 N20E18 0025   BXO  
S7823 2022.08.29       N07E17            
S7824 2022.08.29       S12W03            
S7825 2022.08.30       S17E08          
13092 2022.08.31
2022.09.01
3 7 3 S09E67 0110   CAO location: S10E68
S7827 2022.08.31       N26E43          
S7828 2022.08.31   11 7 S28E54 0025   BXI  
S7829 2022.09.01   4 2 S20W69 0020   CRO    
Total spot count: 27 87 47  
Sunspot number: 67 137 97  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 45 103 63  (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): 74 75 77  

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
2021.02 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 31.4 (+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 (68.7 projected, +3.9) 10.20
2022.04 130.8 131.7 84.1 (73.9 projected, +5.2) 11.79
2022.05 133.8 136.8 96.5 (80.3 projected, +6.4) 7.48
2022.06 116.1 119.8 70.5 (86.2 projected, +5.9) 8.20
2022.07 125.4 129.5 91.4 (93.4 projected, +7.2) 9.51
2022.08 114.2 117.1 75.4 (100.0 projected, +6.6) 11.0
2022.09 116.3 (1)   2.2 (2A) / 67 (2B) / 97.9 (2C) (104.9 projected, +4.9) (8.1)
2022.10       (108.1 projected, +3.2)  
2022.11       (110.9 projected, +2.8)  
2022.12       (115.7 projected, +4.8)  
2023.01       (121.7 projected, +6.0)  
2023.02       (126.7 projected, +5.0)  
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.