Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Last major update issued on June 20, 2010 at 05:30 UTC.

[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and electron fluence charts (updated daily)
[Solar cycles 21-24 (last update May 26, 2010)]
[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 April 2, 2010)]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet on June 19. Solar wind speed ranged between 352 and 476 km/s.

Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 69.0. The planetary A index was 4 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 3.8). Three hour interval K indices: 21010112 (planetary), 11121111 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux is at the class A5 level.

At midnight there were 3 spotted regions on the visible solar disk.

Region 11082 decayed slowly and was quiet. The region could soon become spotless.
New region 11083 emerged in the northwest quadrant on June 18 and was numbered by NOAA/SWPC the next day. The region decayed on June 19 and had only a single, tiny spot left by the end of the day.

Spotted regions not numbered by NOAA/SWPC:
[S781] This region emerged quickly near the central meridian late on June 19 and just southwest of region 11082. Location at midnight: N26E02.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

June 16-18: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were seen in LASCO or STEREO images.

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 small and poorly defined coronal hole (CH409) in the northern hemisphere was in an Earth facing position on June 19. A recurrent trans equatorial coronal hole (CH410) will likely rotate into an Earth facing position on June 22-24.

Processed SOHO/EIT 195 image at 00:00 UTC on June 20. 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 poor to fair. Propagation on long distance northeast-southwest paths is poor to fair.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet on June 20-21 and 24-25. On June 22 and 23 there's a chance of a few unsettled intervals should effects from CH409 reach Earth. On June 26-28 a high speed stream from CH410 could cause quiet to active conditions.

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 SWPC
Classification
Comment
11082 2010.06.17 4 4 N29E10 0010 CRO classification was AXX at midnight
11083 2010.06.19 4 1 N19W22 0010 BXO formerly region S780
classification was AXX at midnight, area 0000
S781 2010.06.19   3 N26E02 0020 (CSO)  
Total spot count: 8 8  
SSN: 28 38  

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 (SF minimum) 0.5 2.8 (-0.4)  
2008.12 69.2 0.8 1.7 (-)
sunspot minimum
3.25
2009.03 69.2 0.7 2.0 (+0.1) 4.85
2009.04 69.7 0.8 2.2 (+0.2) 4.52
2009.05 70.5 2.9 2.3 (+0.1) 4.75
2009.06 68.6 2.9 2.7 (+0.4) 5.22
2009.07 68.2 3.2 3.6 (+0.9) 5.49 / 4.55
2009.08 67.3 0.0 4.8 (+1.2) 5.70 / 4.89
2009.09 70.5 4.3 6.1 (+1.3) 3.88 / 3.61
2009.10 72.6 4.8 7.0 (+0.9) 3.66 / 3.56
2009.11 73.6 4.1 7.6 (+0.6) 2.45 / 2.63
2009.12 76.7 10.8 (8.2 predicted, +0.6) 1.41 / 1.92
2010.01 81.1 13.1 (9.2 predicted, +1.0) 2.93 / 3.07
2010.02 84.7 18.6 (10.7 predicted, +1.5) 4.15 / 4.61
2010.03 83.4 15.4 (12.5 predicted, +1.8) 4.58 / 4.65
2010.04 75.9 7.9 (14.1 predicted, +1.6) 10.22 / 10.24
2010.05 73.8 8.8 (15.4 predicted, +1.3) 9.18 / 8.15
2010.06 72.0 (1) 13.4 (2) (16.9 predicted, +1.5) (7.67)

1) Running average based on the daily 20:00 UTC observed solar flux value at 2800 MHz.
2) Current impact on the monthly sunspot number based on the Boulder (NOAA/SWPC) sunspot number (accumulated daily sunspots / month days). 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 the official NGDC ap indices.

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.