Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on September 7, 2012 at 05:55 UTC.

[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and electron fluence charts (updated daily)]
[Solar cycles 21-24 (last update August 6, 2012)] [Cycle 24 progress (last update September 2, 2012) ]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last update August 6, 2012)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 24 (last update August 6, 2012)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (last update April 5, 2007)]
[Archived reports since January 2003 (last update September 3, 2012)]

[POES auroral activity level since October 2009 - updated August 5, 2012]
[Solar polar fields vs solar cycles - updated June 27, 2011]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet to active on September 6. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 342 and 528 km/s under the influence of CME effects.

Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 128.0 (increasing 2.6 over the last solar rotation). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 13 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 12.6). Three hour interval K indices: 44111321 (planetary), 43112421 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux is at the class B4 level.

At midnight UTC the visible solar disk had 11 spotted active regions (in 2K resolution SDO images).

Region 11558 [N14W55] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 11560 [N04W72] produced an M1.6 impulsive flare at 04:13 UTC and several C flares. The region lost most of its penumbral area and is decaying quickly.
Region 11562 [S19W38] lost the spots from the previous day and gained a spot further south.
Region 11563 [S24W16] lost the leader spot and could soon become spotless.
Region 11564 [S13W13] decayed slowly and produced a few small C flares.
Region 11565 [N10W18] was quiet and stable.
Region 11566 [N22E40] added a few spots and was quiet.

Spotted regions not numbered by NOAA/SWPC:
S1897 [S22W49] developed further and has the largest spots on the visible disk. C flares are possible.
S1900 [N37E22] was quiet and mostly unchanged.
New region S1901 [N28W41] emerged with two spots.
New region S1902 [N14W52] emerged just to the east of AR 11558.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

September 4-6: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in LASCO and STEREO imagery.

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

A northern hemisphere coronal hole (CH533) could rotate into an Earth facing position on September 9.

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. Propagation on long distance northeast-southwest paths is poor to fair.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to unsettled on September 7 due to CME effects. Quiet conditions are likely on September 8-10.

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. 0.5k 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
11558 2012.08.27   2 1 N13W65 0000   BXO location: N14W55

SWPC has lost track of AR 11558 and has moved AR 11559 to the location where the group is

11559 2012.08.27
2012.08.28
3     N13W55 0010 BXO       originally AR 11558
11560 2012.08.29 10 14 6 N04W73 0160 EAI DRI area: 0040
11561 2012.08.29
2012.08.30
      S10W82           plage
11562 2012.08.29
2012.08.30
7 1   S22W48 0100 DSO AXX location: S19W38

SWPC thinks S1897 is part of this region

11563 2012.08.30   1   S24W24 0000   AXX location: S24W16
11564 2012.08.30
2012.08.31
25 67 29 S14W13 0180 ESI EAI  
S1894 2012.09.01       S02W49           plage
S1895 2012.09.02       S08W24           plage
11565 2012.09.02
2012.09.03
5 6 2 N10W19 0030 CSO DRO  
S1897 2012.09.02   11 5 S22W49 0300   DAO  
11566 2012.09.03 2 6 2 N22E39 0070 HSX CSO

area: 0130

S1898 2012.09.03       N09W13           plage
S1900 2012.09.05   1   N37E22 0000   AXX diffuse in 4K, better in 2K res.
S1901 2012.09.06   2 2 N28W14 0010   BXO    
S1902 2012.09.06   4 2 N14W52 0010   BXO    
Total spot count: 52 115 49  
Sunspot number: 112 225 129  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 77 136 70  (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): 67 79 71 k * (sunspot number). k = 0.6 for SWPC, k = 0.35 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)
2011.05 95.8 41.5 47.6 (+5.8) 8.94
2011.06 95.8 37.0 53.2 (+5.6) 8.06
2011.07 94.2 43.8 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 63.4 (+2.3) 3.78
2012.01 132.5 58.3 65.5 (+2.1) 7.15
2012.02 106.5 32.9 66.9 (+1.4) 8.81
2012.03 114.7 64.3 (67.3 projected, +0.4) 16.08
2012.04 113.0 55.2 (66.5 projected, -0.8) 10.10
2012.05 121.5 69.0 (64.4 projected, -2.1) 7.06
2012.06 119.6 64.5 (63.6 projected, -0.8) 10.08
2012.07 133.9 66.5 (64.6 projected, +1.0) 13.90
2012.08 115.4 63.1 (67.2 projected, +2.6) 7.53
2012.09 138.0 (1)  25.0 (2A)/ 125.2 (2B) (70.0 projected, +2.8) (20.44)

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.