Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on August 30, 2014 at 04:25 UTC.

[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and electron fluence charts (updated daily)]
[Solar cycles 23-24 (last update August 1, 2014)] [Cycle 24 progress (last update August 13, 2014) ]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last update August 1, 2014)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 24 (last update August 1, 2014)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (last update April 5, 2007)]
[Archived reports since January 2003 (last update August 9, 2014)]

[POES auroral activity level October 2009 - December 2012]
[Solar polar fields vs solar cycles - updated July 18, 2014]
[Presentations: 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013 (pdf) / 4th SSN Workshop, Locarno, 2014]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet to active on August 29. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 346 and 414 km/s under the combined influence of CME and coronal hole effects.

Solar flux at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 120 (decreasing 36 over the last solar rotation). The 90 day 10.7 flux at 1 AU was 132.2. The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 17 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 16.8). Three hour interval K indices: 34343233 (planetary), 25453333 (Boulder).

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

At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 10 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 179) and 8 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 126) SDO images on the visible solar disk.

Region 12148 [N08W79] was quiet and stable.
Region 12149 [N09W35] developed significantly with new flux emerging to the south of the largest penumbra. A magnetic delta structure has formed and the region could produce a minor M class flare.
Region 12150 [S13W18] was quiet and stable.
Region 12151 [S07W06] was quiet and stable.
Region 12152 [S16E42] gained a few spots and has minor polarity intermixing. C class flaring is possible.
New region 12153 [S10E17] emerged on August 26 and was numbered by SWPC 3 days later.

Spotted regions not numbered (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
New region S3772 [S07E28] emerged with penumbra spots.
New region S3773 [S24W31] emerged with a few spots.
New region S3774 [N07E38] emerged with penumbra spots.
New region S3775 [N06W27] emerged with a penumbra spot.

C2+ Flares (GOES):

Magnitude Peak time (UTC) Location AR
C4.3 15:52   12146
C3.0 00:12 (Aug.30)   12149

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

August 27-29: 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 recurrent trans equatorial coronal hole (CH632) was in an Earth facing position on August 27-29.

Propagation

Long distance low and medium frequency (below 2 MHz) propagation along paths north of due west over upper middle latitudes is poor. Propagation on long distance northeast-southwest paths is good.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to active on August 30-31 under the influence of a high speed stream from CH632 and quiet on September 1.

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: 0-30% probability, Yellow: 30-70% probability, Red: 70-100% 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 Magnetic
(SDO)
SWPC STAR Current Previous
2K 1K
12148 2014.08.19
2014.08.20
  1   N08W77 0003   AXX

 

12149 2014.08.21 12 26 15 N09W34 0240 DSI DKC

beta-gamma-delta

area: 0400

12150 2014.08.22 1 8 4 S13W18 0080 HSX HSX area: 0140
12151 2014.08.22
2014.08.23
1 6 3 S07W07 0120 HSX CSO area: 0210
S3763 2014.08.25       N13W45           plage
S3764 2014.08.25       N03W13           plage
S3765 2014.08.26       N13E15           plage
12153 2014.08.26
2014.08.29
3 7 4 S11E18 0010 AXX CRO  
12152 2014.08.26
2014.08.28
6 21 14 S18E41 0020 CRO DRI location: S16E42

area: 0050

S3768 2014.08.26       N18W11         plage
S3769 2014.08.26       S14W38           plage
S3771 2014.08.28       N12W48         plage
S3772 2014.08.29   3 2 S07E28 0010   BXO    
S3773 2014.08.29   4 3 S24W31 0014   DRO    
S3774 2014.08.29   2   N07E28 0002   BXO    
S3775 2014.08.29   1 1 N06W27 0003   AXX    
Total spot count: 23 79 46  
Sunspot number: 73 179 126  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 41 108 75  (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): 44 63 69 k * (sunspot number). k = 0.6 for SWPC, k = 0.35 for MSN 2K, k = 0.55 for MSN 1K (MSN=Magnetic Sunspot Number)

Monthly solar cycle data

Month Average solar flux International sunspot number
(WDC-SILSO)
Smoothed sunspot number Average ap
(3)
Measured 1 AU
2013.04 124.8 125.9 72.4 57.9 (+0.4) 5.40
2013.05 131.4 134.3 78.7 59.9 (+2.0) 9.73
2013.06 110.1 113.7 52.5 62.6 (+2.7) 12.60
2013.07 115.5 119.3 57.0 65.5 (+2.9) 9.47
2013.08 114.6 118.3 66.0 69.0 (+3.5) 8.27
2013.09 102.6 103.7 36.9 73.1 (+4.1) 5.23
2013.10  132.1 131.2 85.6 75.0 (+1.9) 7.71
2013.11  148.3 145.1 77.6 75.4 (+0.4) 5.68
2013.12 147.7 143.1 90.3 76.0 (+0.6) 4.68
2014.01 157.4 152.4 81.8 77.3 (+1.3) 5.44
2014.02 170.3
(cycle peak)
166.3 102.3 (cycle peak) (78.1 projected, +0.8) 10.70
2014.03 149.9 148.5 91.9 (79.0 projected, +0.9) 4.88
2014.04 143.9 144.8 84.7 (78.1 projected, -0.9) 7.88
2014.05 129.7 132.9 75.2 (75.6 projected, -2.5) 5.75
2014.06 122.0 125.8 71.0 (72.9 projected, -2.7) 6.72
2014.07 137.4 141.8 72.5 (69.9 projected, -3.0) 4.50
2014.08 124.7 (1)   101.3 (2A) / 108.2 (2B) / 76.9 (2C) (66.5 projected, -3.4) (7.4)

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 WDC-SILSO 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 GFZ 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.