Last major update issued on April 25, 2006 at 04:35 UTC.
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[Solar cycles 21-23
(last update April 1, 2006)]
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[Graphical comparison
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[Graphical
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[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 unsettled on April 24. Solar wind speed ranged between 365 and 477 (all day average 414) km/sec.
Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 92.3. The planetary A index
was 7 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap
indices: 7.0).
Three hour interval K indices: 32211212 (planetary), 22222112 (Boulder).
The background x-ray flux is at the class B2 level.
At midnight there were 2 spotted regions on the visible solar disk. The solar flare activity level was low. A single C class event was recorded during the day.
Region 10875 developed fairly quickly and is a complex region capable
of producing M class flares. There is a magnetic delta structure in the
southeastern part of the main penumbra. Flare:
C1.0 at 04:04 UTC.
New region 10876 rotated into view at the southeast limb.
April 22-24: 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
No obvious coronal holes are currently in or approaching Earth facing locations.
Processed SOHO/EIT 284 image at 01:06 UTC on April 25. The darkest areas on the solar disk are likely coronal holes.
The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to unsettled on April 25-27.
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 poor. Propagation on long distance northeast-southwest paths is fair. Trans Atlantic propagation conditions are normally monitored every night on 1470 kHz. Dominant stations tonight: Radio Vibración (Venezuela) and CPN Radio (Perú). Propagation was best to Veneuela, Colombia and Perú near local sunrise. During the night only a few stations were audible.
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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10874 | 2006.04.18 | S01W68 | plage | ||||
10875 | 2006.04.23 | 16 | 17 | S10E62 | 0430 | DKC | beta-gamma-delta location: S09E59 |
10876 | 2006.04.24 | 2 | 6 | S14E80 | 0150 | HAX | plage |
Total spot count: | 18 | 23 | |||||
SSN: | 38 | 43 |
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 | 86.4 (1) | 43.5 (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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