Last major update issued on April 22, 2006 at 05:15 UTC.
[Solar and
geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
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[Solar cycles 21-23
(last update April 1, 2006)]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison
of cycles 21, 22 and 23 (last update April 1, 2006)]
[Graphical
comparison of cycles 2, 10, 13, 17, 20 and 23 (last update April 1, 2006)]
[Historical solar and
geomagnetic data charts 1954-2005 (last update March 3, 2006)]
[Archived reports (last update
April 3, 2006)]
The geomagnetic field was quiet to active on April 21. Solar wind speed ranged between 338 and 511 (all day average 359) km/sec. A high speed stream from CH221 arrived after 14h UTC.
Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 79.2. The planetary A index
was 8 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap
indices: 8.4).
Three hour interval K indices: 12212422 (planetary), 12213422 (Boulder).
The background x-ray flux is at the class B1 level.
At midnight there was 1 spotted region on the visible solar disk. The solar flare activity level was very low. No C class events were recorded during the day.
Region 10874 decayed and could soon become spotless.
Two active regions at or just behind the southeast limb are contributing to an increase in the background x-ray flux.
April 19-21: No partly or fully Earth directed CMEs were observed in LASCO imagery.
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
A coronal hole in the northern hemisphere (CH221) was in a partly Earth facing position on April 17-18.
Processed SOHO/EIT 284 image at 01:06 UTC on April 22. The darkest areas on the solar disk are likely coronal holes.
The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to minor storm on April 22 and quiet to unsettled on April 23-24 due to a high speed stream from CH221.
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: 0-20% probability, Yellow: 20-60% probability, Red: 60-100% probability.
Long distance low and medium frequency (below 2 MHz) propagation along east-west paths over high and upper middle latitudes is very poor. Propagation on long distance northeast-southwest paths is fair to good. Trans Atlantic propagation conditions are normally monitored every night on 1470 kHz. Dominant stations tonight: Radio Vibración (Venezuela) and Radio Cristal del Uruguay. A number of stations from Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil were heard in the lower half of the MW band with the best reception being from LSR until 40 minutes after LSR. On 700 kHz LV2 (Argentina) and Rádio Eldorado (Brazil) were both good at times. Radio Diez (Argentina) on 710 kHz had an excellent signal.
Compare to the previous day's image.
Data for all numbered solar regions according to the Solar Region Summary provided by NOAA/SEC. 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. SEC active region numbers in the table below and in the active region map above are the historic SEC/USAF numbers.
Active region | Date numbered | SEC spot count |
STAR spot count |
Location at midnight | Area | Classification | Comment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10872 | 2006.04.11 | S08W57 | plage | ||||
10874 | 2006.04.18 | 4 | 3 | S01W25 | 0030 | DRO | area was 0010 at midnight |
Total spot count: | 4 | 3 | |||||
SSN: | 14 | 13 |
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) |
2005.01 | 102.2 | 31.3 | 34.6 (-0.6) |
2005.02 | 97.2 | 29.2 | 33.9 (-0.7) |
2005.03 | 89.9 | 24.5 | 33.5 (-0.4) |
2005.04 | 86.0 | 24.2 | 31.6 (-1.9) |
2005.05 | 99.3 | 42.7 | 28.9 (-2.7) |
2005.06 | 93.7 | 39.3 | 28.8 (-0.1) |
2005.07 | 96.4 | 40.1 | 29.1 (+0.3) |
2005.08 | 90.5 | 36.4 | 27.4 (-1.7) |
2005.09 | 91.1 | 21.9 | 25.8 (-1.6) |
2005.10 | 77.0 | 8.5 | (24.8 predicted, -1.0) |
2005.11 | 86.3 | 18.0 | (22.7 predicted, -2.1) |
2005.12 | 90.7 | 41.2 | (19.8 predicted, -2.9) |
2006.01 | 83.4 | 15.4 | (16.7 predicted, -3.1) |
2006.02 | 76.5 | 4.7 | (13.6 predicted, -3.1) |
2006.03 | 75.4 | 10.8 | (11.4 predicted, -2.2) |
2006.04 | 86.2 (1) | 40.9 (2) | (10.7 predicted, -0.7) |
1) Running average based on the
daily 20:00 UTC observed solar flux
value at 2800 MHz.
2) Unofficial, accumulated value based on the Boulder (NOAA/SEC)
sunspot number. The official international sunspot number is typically
30-50% lower.
This report has been prepared by Jan Alvestad. It is based partly on my own observations and analysis, and partly on data from some of these solar data sources. All time references are to the UTC day. Comments and suggestions are always welcome.
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