Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Last major update issued on March 20, 2006 at 05:10 UTC.

[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and electron fluence charts (updated daily)]
[Solar cycles 21-23 (last update March 2, 2006)]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22 and 23 (last update March 2, 2006)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 2, 10, 13, 17, 20 and 23 (last update March 2, 2006)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2005 (last update March 3, 2006)]
[Archived reports (last update March 2, 2006)]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet to major storm on March 19. Solar wind speed ranged between 537 and 703 (all day average 605) km/sec under the influence of a high speed stream from CH216.

Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 75.2. The planetary A index was 37 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 36.8).
Three hour interval K indices: 65544243 (planetary), 65544233 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux is at the class A4 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 10862 developed further and is capable of producing C class flares. The main trailing penumbra is complex with little or no separation between the opposite polarity areas in the western part of the penumbra.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

March 17-19: No partly or fully Earth directed CMEs were observed in LASCO imagery.

Coronal holes

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 recurrent trans equatorial coronal hole (CH216) was in an Earth facing position on March 16-17. A coronal hole in the northern hemisphere will likely rotate to an Earth facing position on March 21.

Processed SOHO/EIT 284 image at 19:06 UTC on March 19. The darkest areas on the solar disk are likely coronal holes.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to minor storm on March 20 and quiet to unsettled on March 21-23. Effects from CH217 could reach Earth on March 24 and cause a few unsettled to active intervals.

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.

Propagation

Long distance low and medium frequency (below 2 MHz) propagation along east-west paths over high and upper middle latitudes is very poor to useless. Propagation on long distance northeast-southwest paths is fair to poor. Trans Atlantic propagation conditions are normally monitored every night on 1470 kHz. Dominant station tonight: CPN Radio (Perú). On other frequencies some stations from Colombia, Venezuela and Perú were audible, as were a few of the highest power stations from Brazil.

Active solar regions (Recent map)

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
10858 2006.03.12     N18W79     plage
10860 2006.03.14 2   S04W16 0010 AXX spotless
10861 2006.03.15     S11W06     plage
10862 2006.03.18 18 21 S07W10 0090 DAI beta-gamma
S633 2006.03.17     S12W21     plage
Total spot count: 20 21  
SSN: 40 31  

Monthly solar cycle data

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 (25.6 predicted, -1.8)
2005.10 77.0 8.5 (23.8 predicted, -1.8)
2005.11 86.3 18.0 (21.4 predicted, -2.4)
2005.12 90.7 41.2 (18.5 predicted, -2.9)
2006.01 83.4 15.4 (15.4 predicted, -3.1)
2006.02 76.5 4.7 (12.3 predicted, -3.1)
2006.03 73.8 (1) 11.0 (2) (10.1 predicted, -2.2)

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.


[DX-Listeners' Club]