Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on December 5, 2013 at 05:50 UTC.

[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and electron fluence charts (updated daily)]
[Solar cycles 23-24 (last update December 1, 2013)] [Cycle 24 progress (last update December 1, 2013) ]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last update December 1, 2013)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 24 (last update December 1, 2013)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (last update April 5, 2007)]
[Archived reports since January 2003 (last update December 1, 2013)]

[POES auroral activity level since October 2009 - updated January 26, 2013]
[Solar polar fields vs solar cycles - updated December 3, 2013]
[Presentation 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013 (pdf)]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet on December 4. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 331 and 443 km/s.

Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 138.0 (decreasing 10.0 over the last solar rotation). The 90 day 10.7 flux at 1 AU was 127.9. The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 4 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 3.5). Three hour interval K indices: 21100011 (planetary), 12100221 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux was at the class B9 level.

At the time of counting spots (see image time) spots were observed in 13 active regions in 2K resolution (SN: 215) and 11 active regions in 1K resolution (SN: 153) SDO images on the visible solar disk.

Region 11905 [N16W74] was quiet and stable.
Region 11906 [S14W80] rotated partly out of view.
Region 11908 [S26W49] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 11909 [S17W20] was quiet and stable.
Region 11911 [S10W39] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 11912 [S21E42] was quiet and stable.
Region 11914 [S17W43] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 11915 [S29W23] decayed quickly and quietly.
New region 11916 [S13E18] emerged in the trailing polarity field of AR S2876 with several spots.

Spotted regions not numbered by SWPC:
S2876 [S15E11] was quiet and stable.
S2886 [S27E01] was quiet and stable.
New region S2890 [S13W08] emerged with a penumbra spot.
New region S2892 [S11E75] rotated into view.

Flares: long duration C6.8 peaking at 00:56 and C6.2 at 20:37 UTC, both from either AR S2892 or from a region trailing AR S2892.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

December 2-3: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in LASCO and STEREO imagery.
December 4: No imagery from the last hours of the day as this is written. A large filament eruption was observed beginning near 21h UTC across the central meridian in the northern hemisphere. This event was likely associated with a CME, however, any potential geoeffectiveness remains to be determined when imagery becomes available.

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 trans equatorial coronal hole (CH596) was in an Earth facing position on December 3-4.

Coronal hole map

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 on December 5. On December 6-7 unsettled to active conditons are likely due to effects from CH596.

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 2K resolution) 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 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
11905 2013.11.22
2013.11.23
  1 1 N18W77 0006   AXX location: N16W74
11906 2013.11.23
2013.11.25
  1 1 S17W84 0120   HSX location: S14W80

SWPC: AR 11914

11908 2013.11.26
2013.11.27
3 10 4 S26W48 0080 DSO DSO area: 0120
11909 2013.11.26
2013.11.27
11 38 18 S17W20 0250 EKC ESI

area: 0370

S2866 2013.11.28       S30W22           plage
11911 2013.11.29
2013.11.28
2 4 3 S11W38 0010 BXO CRO

area: 0025

11914 2013.11.29
2013.12.02
  3   S18W47 0003   BXO location: S17W43
S2870 2013.11.30       S11W09           plage
S2871 2013.11.30       N21E14           plage
S2872 2013.11.30       N23W39         plage
S2873 2013.11.30       N15W45           plage
S2874 2013.11.30       S07W36           plage
S2876 2013.12.01   2 1 S15E11 0007   BXO images/AR_S2876_20131203_2345.png  
11912 2013.12.01
2013.12.02
1 1 1 S21E40 0110 HSX HSX area: 0180

location: S21E42

S2878 2013.12.01       S27E05           plage
11915 2013.12.01
2013.12.03
3 10 5 S29W23 0030 CAO BXO area: 0060
11913 2013.12.02 5     S14W84 0130 DAO       actually AR 11906
S2880 2013.12.02       S13W23         plage
S2881 2013.12.02       N10W14         plage
S2882 2013.12.02       N24W06         plage
S2883 2013.12.02       S06W24           plage
S2886 2013.12.03   2 1 S27E01 0010   BXO  
S2887 2013.12.03       N08E12         plage
S2888 2013.12.03       N04W50         plage
11916 2013.12.04 3 11 7 S14E19 0010 BXO DRO   area: 0055
S2890 2013.12.04   1   S13W08 0003   AXX    
S2892 2013.12.04   1 1 S11E75 0004   AXX    
Total spot count: 28 85 43  
Sunspot number: 98 215 153  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 58 111 69  (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): 59 75 84 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)
2011.11 153.5 (cycle peak) 96.7 (cycle peak) 61.1 (+1.2) 5.55
2012.02 106.5 32.9 66.9 (+1.4)
possibe cycle 24 max
8.81
2012.08 115.4 63.0 58.2 (+0.4) 7.96
2012.09 122.9 61.4 58.1 (-0.1) 8.07
2012.10 123.3 53.3 58.6 (+0.5) 9.97
2012.11 121.3 61.8 59.7 (+1.1) 7.08
2012.12 108.6 40.8 59.6 (-0.1) 3.44
2013.01 127.1 62.9 58.7 (-0.9) 4.69
2013.02 104.3 38.0 58.4 (-0.3) 6.11
2013.03 111.3 57.9 57.5 (-0.9) 10.56
2013.04 124.8 72.4 57.9 (+0.4) 5.40
2013.05 131.4 78.7 59.9 (+2.0) 9.73
2013.06 110.1 52.5 (61.5 projected, +1.6) 12.60
2013.07 115.5 57.0 (62.1 projected, +0.6) 9.47
2013.08 114.6 66.0 (62.3 projected, +0.2) 8.27
2013.09 102.6 36.9 (61.2 projected, -1.1) 5.23
2013.10  132.1 85.6 (59.0 projected, -2.2) 7.71
2013.11  148.3 77.6 (57.3 projected, -1.7) 5.7
2013.12 134.3 (1) 13.6 (2A) / 105.6 (2B) / 82.4 (2C) (56.1 projected, -1.2) (5.1)

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) Boulder SN current month average to date. 2C) STAR SDO 1K Wolf number 30 day average.
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 the 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.