Last major update issued on May 7, 2006 at 02:55 UTC.
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The geomagnetic field was quiet to minor storm on May 6. Solar wind speed ranged between 342 and 555 (all day average 405) km/sec under the influence of a high speed stream from CH222.
Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 87.0. The planetary A index
was 24 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap
indices: 23.5).
Three hour interval K indices: 23234554 (planetary), 13323445 (Boulder).
The background x-ray flux is at the class A8 level.
At midnight there were 5 spotted regions on the visible solar disk. The solar flare activity level was very low. No C class events were recorded during the day.
Region 10878 decayed and could become spotless today.
Region 10880 was quiet and stable.
Region 10881 developed slowly and was quiet.
May 5-6: No partly or fully Earth directed CMEs were observed in LASCO
imagery.
May 4: A partial halo CME was observed in LASCO images early in the day
following a filament eruption near spotless region 10876.
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 (CH222) was in an Earth facing position on May 2-4.
Processed SOHO/EIT 284 image at 19:06 UTC on May 6. The darkest areas on the solar disk are likely coronal holes.
The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to active on May 7 due to a high speed stream from CH222. A return to mostly quiet conditions is likely on May 8-9.
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 poor. Trans Atlantic propagation conditions are normally monitored every night on 1470 kHz. Tonight Radio Cristal del Uruguay had a weak signal. On other frequencies a few stations from Brazil were weakly 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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10876 | 2006.04.24 | S17W68 | plage | ||||
10878 | 2006.04.26 | 3 | 2 | N14W22 | 0010 | CSO | classification was AXX at midnight |
10879 | 2006.05.02 | 1 | N16W47 | 0010 | AXX | spotless | |
10880 | 2006.05.04 | 3 | 1 | S08E37 | 0070 | DAO | classification was HAX at midnight |
10881 | 2006.05.05 | 7 | 5 | S12E68 | 0070 | DAO | |
10882 | 2006.05.06 | 5 | 4 | S12W19 | 0020 | DAO | classification was DRO at midnight |
S647 | 2006.04.29 | N08W63 | plage | ||||
S650 | 2006.05.03 | S12E10 | plage | ||||
S652 | 2006.05.06 | 1 | S05E73 | 0020 | HSX | ||
Total spot count: | 19 | 13 | |||||
SSN: | 69 | 63 |
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) |
2005.02 | 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 | 25.5 (-0.3) |
2005.11 | 86.3 | 18.0 | (24.5 predicted, -1.0) |
2005.12 | 90.7 | 41.2 | (21.8 predicted, -2.7) |
2006.01 | 83.4 | 15.4 | (18.7 predicted, -3.1) |
2006.02 | 76.5 | 4.7 | (15.6 predicted, -3.1) |
2006.03 | 75.4 | 10.8 | (13.4 predicted, -2.2) |
2006.04 | 89.0 | 30.2 | (12.7 predicted, -0.7) |
2006.05 | 89.6 (1) | 9.0 (2) | (12.2 predicted, -0.5) |
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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