Last update issued on February 8, 2003 at 03:40 UTC.
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The geomagnetic field was quiet to active on February 7. Solar wind speed ranged between 447 and 559 km/sec under the influence of a coronal stream.
Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 147.3. The planetary A
index was 13 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 13.4).
Three hour interval K indices: 32234333 (planetary), 32223332 (Boulder).
The background x-ray flux is at the class B3 level.
At midnight there were 9 spotted regions on the visible disk, 2 of which have not yet been numbered by SEC/NOAA. Solar flare activity was low. Only 1 C class event was recorded during the day.
Region 10274 was mostly quiet and stable. Flare: Long duration C1.0 peaking at 16:28
UTC.
Region 10276 decayed quickly. At the current rate of decay this region will become spotless within 2 days.
Region 10277 developed slowly and quietly.
Region 10278 decayed further and was quiet.
Region 10280 decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 10281 was mostly quiet and unchanged.
New region 10282 emerged in the northeast quadrant, then decayed and was spotless again before early evening. This region
was first spotted on February 5, then became spotless on February 6.
New region 10283 emerged in the northeast quadrant on February 6 and was numbered the next day. The region developed slowly
on Feb.7.
Spotted regions not yet numbered by SEC/NOAA:
[S87] A new region emerged north of region 10274 on January 31. Initially it was not clear if this was a separate region
and the spots were associated with region 10274. The region developed quickly on February 2 and it became obvious that regions
10274 and S87 were separate bipolar regions. Slow decay has been observed since February 4. Location at midnight: S04W66.
[S90] A new region emerged in the southeast quadrant on February 4. Location at midnight: S16E30.
February 5-6: No obviously geoeffective CMEs observed. (Images covering February 7 not yet available.)
Coronal hole history (since late October 2002)
Compare today's report with the situation one solar rotation ago: 28
days ago 27 days ago 26 days ago
No obvious coronal holes are currently approaching geoeffective positions.
Processed SOHO EIT 284 image at 01:06 UTC on February 8. Any black areas on the solar disk are likely coronal holes.
The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to unsettled on February 8-11. Long distance medium wave (AM) band propagation along east-west paths over high and upper middle latitudes is very poor, propagation along north-south paths is fair.
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.
2) Material from a CME is likely to impact Earth within 96 hours.
3) There is a possibility of either M or X class flares within the next 48
hours.
Green: 0-20% probability, Yellow: 20-60% probability, Red: 60-100% probability.
Compare to the previous day's image.
Data for all numbered solar regions according to the Solar Region Summary provided by SEC/NOAA. 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 SEC or where SEC has observed no spots.
Solar region | Date numbered | SEC spot count |
STAR spot count |
Location at midnight | Area | Classification | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10274 | 2003.01.28 | 3 | 1 | S07W59 (SEC: S05W63) |
0100 | CSO |
classification was HSX at midnight. location corrected. SEC spot count includes that of region S87 |
10276 | 2003.02.01 | 31 | 20 | S13W01 | 0090 | ESI | |
10277 | 2003.02.04 | 1 | 9 | S19E25 | 0020 | HRX |
classification was DAO at midnight, area 0040 |
10278 | 2003.02.04 | 21 | 18 | N18E40 | 0130 | DAO | |
10279 | 2003.02.05 | S13W25 | plage | ||||
10280 | 2003.02.06 | 9 | 8 | S07E16 | 0040 | DSO | |
10281 | 2003.02.06 | 1 | 1 | S14E60 | 0050 | HAX | |
10282 | 2003.02.07 | 4 | N12E35 | 0020 | BXO |
formerly region S93 now spotless |
|
10283 | 2003.02.07 | 3 | 3 | N01E52 | 0040 | CSO |
formerly region S97 classification was DSO at midnight, area 0070 |
S86 | emerged on 2003.02.02 |
S18W74 | plage | ||||
S87 | emerged on 2003.01.31 |
1 | S04W66 | 0030 | HSX |
split off from region 10274 |
|
S88 | emerged on 2003.02.04 |
S08W27 | plage | ||||
S90 | emerged on 2003.02.04 |
2 | S16E30 | 0010 | BXO | ||
S96 | emerged on 2003.02.06 |
S03W21 | now spotless | ||||
Total spot count: | 73 | 63 | |||||
SSN: | 153 | 153 |
Month | Average solar flux at Earth |
International sunspot number | Smoothed sunspot number |
---|---|---|---|
2000.04 | 184.2 | 125.5 | 120.8 cycle 23 sunspot max. |
2000.07 | 202.3 | 170.1 | 119.8 |
2001.12 | 235.1 | 132.2 | 114.6 (-0.9) |
2002.01 | 226.6 | 114.1 | 113.5 (-1.1) |
2002.02 | 205.0 | 107.4 | 114.6 (+1.2) |
2002.03 | 179.5 | 98.4 | 113.3 (-1.3) |
2002.04 | 189.8 | 120.7 | 110.5 (-2.9) |
2002.05 | 178.4 | 120.8 | 108.8 (-1.7) |
2002.06 | 148.7 | 88.3 | 106.2 (-2.6) |
2002.07 | 173.5 | 99.6 | 102.7 (-3.5) |
2002.08 | 183.6 | 116.4 | (99.7 predicted, -3.0) |
2002.09 | 175.8 | 109.6 | (96.7 predicted, -3.0) |
2002.10 | 167.0 | 97.5 | (93.2 predicted, -3.5) |
2002.11 | 168.7 | 95.0 | (88.0 predicted, -5.2) |
2002.12 | 157.2 | 81.6 | (83.6 predicted, -4.4) |
2003.01 | 144.0 | 79.5 | (80.6 predicted, -3.0) |
2003.02 | 136.7 (1) | 23.5 (2) | (75.5 predicted, -5.1) |
1) Running average based on the daily 20:00 UT observed solar flux value at 2800
MHz.
2) Unofficial, accumulated value based on the Boulder (SEC/NOAA) sunspot number. The official
international sunspot number is typically 25-45% less.
This report has been prepared by Jan Alvestad. It is based partly on my own observations and interpretations, and partly on data from sources noted in solar links. All time references are to the UTC day. Comments and suggestions are always welcome.
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