Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on June 14, 2012 at 04:45 UTC. Minor update posted at 17:00 UTC

[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and electron fluence charts (updated daily)
[Solar cycles 21-24 (last update June 2, 2012)]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last update June 2, 2012)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 24 (last update June 2, 2012)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (last update April 5, 2007)]
[Archived reports since January 2003 (last update May 3, 2012)]

[POES auroral activity level since October 2009 - updated June 10, 2012]
[Solar polar fields vs solar cycles - updated June 27, 2011]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet on June 13. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 345 and 396 km/s.

Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 142.8 (increasing 6.5 over the last solar rotation). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 5 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 5.0). Three hour interval K indices: 22210111 (planetary), 22222221 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux is at the class B8 level.

At midnight UTC the visible solar disk had 10 spotted active regions (in 2K resolution SDO images).

Region 11504 [S17E14] developed further with an increase in penumbral area. While there is minor polarity intermixing, no magnetic delta structures were observed by the end of the day. Further M flaring is possible. Flares: very long duration M1.2/1N event peaking at 13:17, C7.0 at 14:48, C6.2 at 15:27, C6.8 at 19:26 UTC. The M class event was associated with a partial halo CME.
Region 11505 [S10E13] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 11506 [N10E24] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 11507 [S25W13] decayed slowly and quietly. The southeastern spots were split off into AR 11508.
New region 11508 [S28W06] developed with quite a few new spots emerging. Mature penumbra was not observed on any spots.

Spotted active regions not numbered or interpreted differently by NOAA/SWPC:
S1719
[S25E03] was quiet and stable.
S1726 [S17W02] was quiet and stable.
New region S1729 [N17E27] was split off from AR 11506.
New region S1730 [N20E02] emerged with two small spots.
New region S1731 [S15W20] emerged with an east-west oriented inversion line.

Minor update added at 17:00 UTC on June 14: A very long duration M1.9 event in region 11504 peaked at 14.35 UTC. A large CME was observed in STEREO imagery, the CME could reach Earth late on June 16 or early on June 17 and cause active to major storm conditions.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

June 11: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in LASCO or STEREO imagery.
June 12: A filament eruption began slowly to the northwest of AR 11507 at 14h UTC and later on expanded to include filaments across most of the southern hemisphere. A CME was observed over the eastern limb in STEREO-A images starting at 17:54 UTC and over the west limb in STEREO-B images.
June 13: A partial halo CME was observed after the M1.2 LDE in AR 11504. This CME could reach Earth on June 16.

Coronal holes

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

No obvious coronal holes are currently in or near potentially geoeffective positions. 

Coronal hole map

The above coronal hole map is based on a method where coronal holes are detected automatically. While the method may need some fine tuning, 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 this method, the extent and intensity of both CHs 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 poor to fair. Propagation on long distance northeast-southwest paths is poor.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet on June 14 and most of June 15. The CME observed on June 12 could arrive during the latter half of June 15 and cause unsettled to active conditions. The CME observed on June 13 could reach Earth on June 16 and cause unsettled to active conditions.

Coronal holes (1) Coronal mass ejection (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 magnetic polarity overlay
Comment
SWPC STAR SDO SWPC STAR Current Previous
2K 1K
11499 2012.06.01
2012.06.03
      N15W85           plage
11502 2012.06.02
2012.06.04
      S17W86           plage

location: S16W78

S1713 2012.06.06       N11W59           plage
11507 2012.06.07
2012.06.10
26 18 11 S25W13 0040 DAI DRI

 

11504 2012.06.08
2012.06.09
25 44 24 S17E14 0560 EKC EHC

beta-gamma

area: 0900

11505 2012.06.09 8 18 9 S09E12 0070 DAO DAO location: S10E13
S1719 2012.06.09   9   S25E03 0000   BXO  
11506 2012.06.09
2012.06.10
5 13 6 N11E25 0080 HSX CSO

 

S1721 2012.06.09       N11W08         plage
S1723 2012.06.09       S31W20         plage
S1726 2012.06.10   5 2 S17W02 0000   BXO  
S1727 2012.06.10       N10W45           plage
S1728 2012.06.10       N07W48         plage
11508 2012.06.13 20 31 20 S28W06 0080 DAI DRI    
S1729 2012.06.13   3 1 N17E27 0000   BXO    
S1730 2012.06.13   2 1 N20E02 0000   BXO    
S1731 2012.06.13   2 1 S15W20 0000   BXO    
Total spot count: 84 145 75  
Sunspot number: 134 245 165  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted penumbral SN: 114 171 101  (Sum of total spot count + classification weighting for each AR. Classification weighting: X=0, R=3, A/S=5, H/K=10)
Relative sunspot number (Wolf number): 80 86 91 k * (sunspot number). k = 0.6 for SWPC, k = 0.35 (changed from 0.45 on March 1, 2011) for STAR SDO 2K, k = 0.55 for STAR SDO 1K

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
 
2011.03 115.0 56.2 36.9 (+3.5) 8.18
2011.04 112.6 54.4 41.8 (+4.9) 8.83
2011.05 95.8 41.6 47.6 (+5.8) 8.94
2011.06 95.8 37.0 53.2 (+5.6) 8.06
2011.07 94.2 43.9 57.2 (+4.0) 8.16
2011.08 101.7 50.6 59.0 (+1.8) 7.26
2011.09 133.8 78.0 59.5 (+0.5) 12.27
2011.10 137.3 88.0 59.9 (+0.4) 8.28
2011.11 153.5 96.7 61.1 (+1.2) 5.55
2011.12 141.3 73.0 (64.3 projected, +3.2) 3.78
2012.01 132.5 58.3 (68.0 projected, +3.7) 7.15
2012.02 106.5 33.1 (71.3 projected, +3.3) 8.81
2012.03 114.7 64.2 (73.0 projected, +1.7) 16.08
2012.04 113.0 55.2 (73.2 projected, +0.2) 10.10
2012.05 121.5 69.0 (73.2 projected, +0.0) 8.75
2012.06 131.8 (1) 53.6 (2A) / 123.8 (2B) (73.9 projected, +0.7) (13.07)

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 quicklook and definitive Potsdam WDC ap indices. Values in red are based on the definitive international Potsdam WDC 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.