Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Last major update issued on October 29, 2011 at 04:55 UTC.

[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and electron fluence charts (updated daily)
[Solar cycles 21-24 (last update October 1, 2011)]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last update October 1, 2011)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 24 (last update October 1, 2011)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (last update April 5, 2007)]
[Archived reports since January 2003 (last update October 1, 2011)]

[POES auroral activity level since October 2009 - updated October 27, 2011]
Annotated geomagnetic activity charts - Carrington rotation 2113 [July-August 2011] - 2114 [August-September 2011]
[Solar polar fields vs solar cycles - updated June 27, 2011]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was very quiet on October 28. Solar wind speed ranged between 278 and 435 km/s.

Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 133.9 (decreasing 3.0 over the last solar rotation). The planetary A index was 2 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 2.1). Three hour interval K indices: 00000111 (planetary), 00001010 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux is at the class B5 level.

At midnight UTC the visible solar disk had 9 spotted regions (in 2K resolution SDO images).

Region 11324 [N12W60] developed early in the day, then decayed slowly. Flares: C1.0 at 07:04, C1.7 at 12:17 UTC.
Region 11325 [N16W38] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 11330 [N07W12] decayed in the trailing spot section while some development occurred to the east of the large leader penumbra. Flare: C1.0 at 06:14 UTC.
Region 11332 [N32E25] was quiet and stable.
Region 11333 [N15W03] decayed slowly and quietly.

Spotted regions not reported by NOAA/SWPC:
[S1295] emerged in the southeast quadrant on October 25. Location at midnight: S20W14
[S1296] emerged with tiny spots in an old plage area in the northeast quadrant on October 27. Location at midnight: N17E32
[S1298] emerged in the northeast quadrant on October 28. Location at midnight: N17E58
[S1299] emerged in the northeast quadrant on October 28. Location at midnight: N16E16

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

October 26, 28: No obviously Earth directed CMEs observed.
October 27: A small, faint halo CME was observed after noon following a filament eruption to the north of region 11330.

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 coronal hole (CH481)  in the southern hemisphere was in an Earth facing position on October 25-26.

The above coronal hole map is based on a new method where coronal holes are detected automatically. The method may need some fine tuning, however, it has significant advantages over detecting coronal holes manually. The main improvement is the ability to detect coronal holes at and just beyond the solar limbs. Early results using this method for SDO images over a span of several weeks indicate a good match between coronal holes observed over the visible disk and their extent and position at the east and west limbs. Note that the polar coronal holes are easily detected using the new method, the extent and intensity of both holes are consistent with other data sources.

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 to unsettled on October 29-31 due to weak effects from CH481. If the CME observed on October 27 arrives, some unsettled and active intervals will be likely on October 30.

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

(Click on image for higher resolution image) Compare to the previous day's image

When available the active region map has a coronal hole polarity overlay where red (pink) is negative and blue (blue-green) is positive.

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
detected
Spot count Location at midnight Area Classification SDO / HMI 4K continuum
image with polarity overlay
Comment
SWPC STAR SDO SWPC STAR Current Previous
11324 2011.10.17 7 16 N12W62 0070 DSO CAI  
11325 2011.10.19 1 5 N16W40 0010 AXX BXO

 

11330 2011.10.21
2011.10.22
18 35 N04W09 0450 EHO FHI

area: 0550

location: N07W12

11333 2011.10.23
2011.10.27
13 14 N15W02 0050 DSO CRI  
11332 2011.10.23
2011.10.24
2 4 N31E22 0040 HSX HSX  
S1294 2011.10.23     N27W42           plage
S1295 2011.10.25   1 S20W14 0000   AXX  
S1296 2011.10.27   1 N17E32 0000   AXX  
S1298 2011.10.28   3 N17E58 0000   BXO    
S1299 2011.10.28   2 N16E16 0000   BXO    
Total spot count: 41 81  
Sunspot number: 91 171  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Classification adjusted SN: 66 104  (Sum of total spot count + classification adjustment for each AR. Classification adjustment: X=0, R=3, A/S=5, H/K=10)
Relative sunspot number (Wolf number): 55 56  k * (sunspot number). k = 0.6 for SWPC. k = 0.33 for STAR SDO

Monthly solar cycle data

Month Average measured solar flux International sunspot number (SIDC) Smoothed sunspot number Average ap
(3)
2008.07 65.7 (SF minimum) 0.5 2.8 (-0.4)  
2008.12 69.2 0.8 1.7 (-)
sunspot minimum
3.25
2010.07 79.8 16.1 16.7 (+0.3) 6.31 / 5.15
2010.08 79.2 19.6 17.4 (+0.7) 8.49 / 7.77
2010.09 81.1 25.2 19.6 (+2.2) 5.33 / 5.45
2010.10 81.6 23.5 23.2 (+3.6) 6.07 / 6.27
2010.11 82.5 21.5 26.5 (+3.3) 4.80 / 5.50
2010.12 84.2 14.4 28.8 (+2.3) 3.41 / 4.35
2011.01 83.6 19.1 31.0 (+2.2) 4.32 / 5.51
2011.02 94.6 29.4 33.4 (+2.4) 5.41 / 6.44
2011.03 115.0 56.2 36.9 (+3.5) 7.79 / 8.18
2011.04 112.6 54.4 (41.1 predicted, +4.2) 9.71 / 8.83
2011.05 95.8 41.6 (45.2 predicted, +4.1) 9.18 / 8.94
2011.06 95.8 37.0 (49.2 predicted, +4.0) 8.96 / 8.06
2011.07 94.2 43.9 (53.1 predicted, +3.9) 9.14 / 8.16
2011.08 101.7 50.6 (57.2 predicted, +4.1) 8.16 / 7.26
2011.09 133.8 78.0 (60.3 predicted, +3.1) 12.80 / 12.27
2011.10 138.1 (1) 108.7 (2A) / 120.4 (2B) (61.8 predicted, +1.5) (7.78)

1) Running average based on the daily 20:00 UTC observed solar flux value at 2800 MHz.
2A) Current impact on the monthly sunspot number based on the Boulder (NOAA/SWPC) sunspot number (accumulated daily sunspots / month days). The official SIDC international sunspot number is typically 30-50% lower. 2B) Month average to date.
3) Running average based on the preliminary 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 on analysis of data from whatever sources are available at the time the report is prepared. All time references are to the UTC day. Comments and suggestions are always welcome.

SDO images are courtesy of NASA/SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams.