Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Last major update issued on January 17, 2010 at 07:00 UTC.

[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and electron fluence charts (updated daily)
[Solar cycles 21-23 (last update October 4, 2007)]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22 and 23 (last update October 4, 2007)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 2, 10, 13, 17, 20 and 23 (last update October 4, 2007)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (last update April 5, 2007)]
[Archived reports (last update January 3, 2010)]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was inactive on January 16. Solar wind speed ranged between 344 and 464 km/s.

Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 84.2. The planetary A index was 1 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 0.8). Three hour interval K indices: 00000000 (planetary), 00110100 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux is at the class A9 level.

At midnight there was 1 spotted region on the visible solar disk.

Region 11040 decayed and lost all penumbra on the trailing spots.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

January 14-16: No partially or fully Earth directed CMEs were observed in LASCO or STEREO imagery.

Coronal holes

Coronal hole history (since late October 2002)
Compare today's report to the situation one solar rotation ago: 28 days ago 27 days ago 26 days ago

A northern hemisphere coronal hole (CH389) with a weak equatorialward extension rotated across the central meridian on January 15-16.

Processed SOHO/EIT 195 image at 00:26 UTC on January 17. The darkest areas on the solar disk are likely coronal holes.

Propagation

Long distance low and medium frequency (below 2 MHz) propagation along paths north of due west over high and upper middle latitudes is fair. Propagation on long distance northeast-southwest paths is poor.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet on January 17 and quiet to unsettled on January 18-19 due to effects from CH389.

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.

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/SWPC. 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 SWPC or where SWPC has observed no spots. SWPC active region numbers in the table below and in the active region map above are the historic SWPC/USAF numbers.

Active region Date numbered SWPC
spot
count
STAR
spot
count
Location at midnight Area Classification Comment
11040 2010.01.07 14 12 N29W57 0290 CKI classification was CAO at midnight,
area 0130
Total spot count: 14 12  
SSN: 24 22  

Monthly solar cycle data

Month Average measured solar flux International sunspot number (SIDC) Smoothed sunspot number Average Ap
(3)
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)  
2008.07 65.7 0.5 2.8 (-0.4)  
2008.11 68.6 4.1 1.7 (-0.1)
 
3.51
2008.12 69.2 0.8 1.7 (-)
sunspot minimum
3.25
2009.01 69.8 1.3 1.8 (+0.1) 3.70
2009.02 70.0 1.4 1.9 (+0.1) 4.68
2009.03 69.2 0.7 2.0 (+0.1) 4.85
2009.04 69.7 1.2 2.2 (+0.2) 4.52
2009.05 70.5 2.9 2.3 (+0.1) 4.75
2009.06 68.6 2.6 2.7 (+0.4) 5.22
2009.07 68.2 3.5 (3.5 predicted, +0.8) 5.49
2009.08 67.3 0.0 (4.4 predicted, +0.9) 5.70
2009.09 70.5 4.2 (5.4 predicted, +1.0) 3.88
2009.10 72.6 4.6 (6.5 predicted, +1.1) 3.66
2009.11 73.6 4.2 (7.7 predicted, +1.2) 2.45
2009.12 76.7 10.6 (9.1 predicted, +1.4) 1.41 / 1.92
2010.01  82.0 (1) 11.5 (2) (10.1 predicted, +1.0) (2.32)

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/SWPC) sunspot number. The official international sunspot number is typically 30-50% lower.
3) Running average based on the daily SWPC ap indices. Values in red are based on official NGDC records.

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.