The geomagnetic field was quiet to unsettled on December 3. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 390 and 562 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 139.2 - decreasing 7.0 over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 158.42. In comparison SC24 peaked on June 28, 2014 at 145.50). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 10 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 9.9). Three hour interval K indices: 23222232 (planetary), 23122322 (Boulder), 22332334 (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 13 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 212) and in 11 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 161) SDO/HMI images.
Region 13500 [S18W68] decayed slowly and saw
decreased flare activity. C1 flares: C1.3 @ 21:11 UT
Region 13501 [S09W62] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 13503 [N22W38] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 13505 [S16E04] was mostly quiet and stable.
Region 13507 [N07E15] developed slowly and was mostly quiet .C1
flares: C1.3 @ 19:55 UT
Region 13508 [S14E13] was quiet and stable.
Region 13509 [N12W78] decayed slowly and quietly.
New region 13510 [S15E22] emerged on December 2 and was numbered by
SWPC the next day. C class flaring is possible. C1 flares: C1.5 @ 07:33,
C1.1 @ 23:17 UT
New region 13511 [S22E23] emerged with several spots and was polarity
intermixing and possibly a weak magnetic delta in the central spot section.
A minor M class flare is possible. C1 flares: C1.2 @ 10:59, C1.5 @ 15:20 UT
Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted
differently) by SWPC/USAF:
New region S9197 [S09E72] rotated into view.
New region S9199 [N15E02] emerged with tiny spots.
New region S9200 [N05E22] emerged with tiny
spots.
New region S9201 [S16W07] emerged with tiny spots.
AR 13492 behind the northwest limb produced a C1.7
flare at 05:15 UT.
AR 13494 behind the southwest limb was the source of a C1.4 flare at 16:58
UT
C2+ flares:
| Magnitude | Peak time (UT) | Location | Source | Recorded by | Comment |
| C4.0 | 08:06 | 13494 | GOES18 | ||
| C2.8 | 14:36 | behind northwest limb | 13492 | GOES18 | |
| C2.7 | 22:37 | 13500 | GOES18 |
December 2-3: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed.
December 1: A partial halo CME was observed after an M1.0 flare in AR
13500 late in the day. This CME could reach Earth on December 4 or 5 and
contribute to the expected CH1190 disturbance.
[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 well defined large recurrent negative polarity trans equatorial coronal hole (CH1190) rotated across the central meridian on December 1-3.
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.
The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to major storm on December 4-5 and quiet to active on December 6 due to effects from CH1190. The December 1 CME could contribute to the ongoing disturbance on December 4-5.
| Coronal holes (1) | Coronal mass ejections (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.
(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 | ||||||||||
| 13500 | 2023.11.22 2023.11.23 |
9 | 14 | 8 | S18W71 | 0250 | DKC | EAI |
 |
 |
beta-gamma location: S18W68 |
| 13501 | 2023.11.22 2023.11.23 |
1 | 2 | 1 | S08W62 | 0020 | HSX | HAX |
 |
 |
area: 0050 location: S09W62 |
| 13503 | 2023.11.23 2023.11.25 |
2 | 1 | N19W48 | 0007 | BXO |
 |
 |
locaton: N22W38 |
||
| 13506 | 2023.11.26 2023.11.29 |
N15W85 |
location: N15W73 |
||||||||
| 13505 | 2023.11.27 2023.11.28 |
3 | 6 | 4 | S17E03 | 0020 | CSO | CSO |
 |
 |
area: 0090 location: S16E04 |
| 13508 | 2023.11.28 2023.11.29 |
1 | 1 | 1 | S15E12 | 0060 | HSX | HSX |
 |
 |
area: 0180 location: S14E13 |
| 13507 | 2023.11.28 2023.11.29 |
2 | 10 | 7 | N08E14 | 0130 | HSX | DSO |
 |
 |
area: 0250 location: N07E15 |
| S9186 | 2023.11.28 | S09W38 | |||||||||
| S9189 | 2023.11.30 | N28W39 | |||||||||
| 13509 | 2023.12.01 2023.12.01 |
2 | 4 | 2 | N11W79 | 0030 | CRO | HRX |
 |
 |
location: N12W78 |
| S9193 | 2023.12.01 | S22W50 | |||||||||
| S9194 | 2023.12.01 | S06E24 |
 |
||||||||
| 13510 | 2023.12.02 2023.12.03 |
6 | 20 | 14 | S15E22 | 0030 | CRI | DAO |
 |
 |
area: 0180 |
| S9197 | 2023.12.03 | 3 | 2 | S09E72 | 0050 | HRX |
 |
||||
| 13511 | 2023.12.03 2023.12.03 |
3 | 14 | 10 | S23E23 | 0010 | BXO | DRI |
 |
beta-gamma was AR S9198 location: S22E23 area: 0090 |
|
| S9199 | 2023.12.03 | 2 | N15E02 | 0002 | BXO |
 |
|||||
| S9200 | 2023.12.03 | 2 | 1 | N05E22 | 0005 | BXO |
 |
||||
| S9201 | 2023.12.03 | 2 | S16W07 | 0005 | BXO |
 |
|||||
| Total spot count: | 27 | 82 | 51 | ||||||||
| Sunspot number: | 107 | 212 | 161 | (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions) | |||||||
| Weighted SN: | 63 | 121 | 90 | (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): | 118 | 117 | 129 | ||||||||
| 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 (SC24 solar max) | 7.88 |
| 2017.09 | 91.3 | 92.3 | 43.6 | 18.2 (-1.3) | 18.22 (SC24 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 |
| 2022.04 | 130.8 | 131.7 | 84.0 | 73.0 (+4.3) | 11.79 |
| 2022.05 | 133.8 | 136.8 | 96.5 | 77.4 (+4.4) | 7.48 |
| 2022.06 | 116.1 | 119.8 | 70.3 | 81.1 (+3.7) | 8.20 |
| 2022.07 | 125.4 | 129.5 | 91.4 | 86.7 (+5.6) | 9.51 |
| 2022.08 | 114.2 | 117.1 | 74.6 | 92.6 (+5.9) | 10.92 |
| 2022.09 | 135.1 | 136.5 | 96.0 | 96.5 (+3.9) | 12.18 |
| 2022.10 | 133.5 | 132.7 | 95.5 | 98.9 (+2.4) | 11.16 |
| 2022.11 | 123.4 | 120.7 | 80.5 | 101.2 (+2.3) | 9.33 |
| 2022.12 | 147.9 | 143.4 | 112.8 | 106.7 (+5.5) | 10.99 |
| 2023.01 | 182.4 | 176.6 | 144.4 | 113.3 (+6.6) | 8.73 |
| 2023.02 | 167.2 | 163.2 | 111.3 | 117.8 (+3.5) | 14.48 (current SC25 peak) |
| 2023.03 | 157.2 | 155.6 | 123.3 | 121.0 (+3.2) | 14.42 |
| 2023.04 | 145.4 | 146.4 | 97.6 | 122.7 (+1.7) | 13.40 |
| 2023.05 | 155.6 | 159.2 | 137.4 | 123.9 (+1.2) | 10.67 |
| 2023.06 | 161.7 | 166.8 | 160.5 | (126.3 projected, +2.4) | 8.95 |
| 2023.07 | 176.4 | 182.2 | 159.1 | (127.1 projected, +0.8) | 8.15 |
| 2023.08 | 153.7 | 157.6 | 114.8 | (128.2 projected, +1.1) | 7.19 |
| 2023.09 | 154.4 | 156.0 | 133.6 | (130.4 projected, +2.2) | 14.26 |
| 2023.10 | 142.8 | 141.9 | 99.4 | (132.2 projected, +1.8) | 8.16 |
| 2023.11 | 153.5 | 150.2 | 105.4 | (134.1 projected max SC25, +1.9) | 12.3 |
| 2023.12 | 149.8 (1) | 10.9 (2A) / 113.0 (2B) / 122.9 (2C) | (132.7 projected, -1.4) | (24.1) | |
| 2024.01 | (130.0 projected, -2.7) | ||||
| 2024.02 | (129.9 projected, -0.1) | ||||
| 2024.03 | (129.3 projected, -0.6) | ||||
| 2024.04 | (130.1 projected, +0.8) | ||||
| 2024.05 | (132.2 projected, +2.1) | ||||
| 2024.06 | (131.5 projected, -0.7) | ||||
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: WDC-SILSO, Royal Observatory
Of Belgium, Brussels
Looking back 6 months, the 365d smoothed values for solar flux and all sunspot numbers with the exception of NOAA's, are all above their solar cycle 24 peak. The first peak of solar cycle 25 is forecast to be between July 7 and 10, 2023 (solar flux on July 7, ISN and STAR 1K and 2K all have that peak on July 9, while NOAA peaks on July 10). This is unlikely to be the final peak of SC25, however, there is a small probability that it is the actual sunspot and solar flux maximum.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
