Last major update issued on January 6, 2014 at 05:05 UTC.
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[Solar cycles 23-24 (last update January 1, 2014)] [Cycle
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[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last
update January 1, 2014)]
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December 16, 2013]
[Presentation
3rd
SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013 (pdf)]
The geomagnetic field was quiet on January 5. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 403 and 529 km/s.
Solar flux measured at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 217.5 (increasing 49.4 over the last solar rotation and the highest recorded during cycle 24). The 90 day 10.7 flux at 1 AU was 144.4. The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 4 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 3.6). Three hour interval K indices: 11211101 (planetary), 11201220 (Boulder).
The background x-ray flux is at the class C1 level.
At the time of counting spots (see image time) spots were observed in 13 active regions in 2K resolution (SN: 365) and 12 active regions in 1K resolution (SN: 240) SDO images on the visible solar disk.
Region 11937 [S14W68] was mostly quiet but could
produce C flares.
Region 11938 [S14W58] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 11942 [N10W04] developed slowly and was quiet.
Region 11943 [S12E07] was quiet and stable.
Region 11944 [S09E26] developed in the southeastern section with another
large penumbral area forming. There are 2 significant magnetic delta structures
in this penumbra. The region remains capable of producing major flares.
C5+ flares: C6.6 at 15:18 UTC.
Region 11945 [N10W23] was quiet and stable.
Region 11946 [N09E23] developed and has weak polarity intermixing. C and
minor M class flares are possible.
Spotted regions not numbered (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S2990 [S09W32] developed slowly and quietly.
New region S2991 [N06E80] rotated into view.
New region S2992 [N17E35] emerged with 2 spots.
New region S2993 [N04E08] emerged with a penumbra spot.
New region S2994 [N11W54] emerged quickly with several spots.
New region S2995 [S15E46] emerged with penumbra spots.
January 3, 5: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in LASCO
and
STEREO imagery.
January 4: A full halo CME was observed late in the day after the M4
event in AR 11943. This CME could reach Earth on January 7.
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 (CH599) will likely rotate into an Earth facing position on January 9-10.
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 poor to fair.
The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet on January 6. On January 7 the CME observed late on January 4 could reach Earth and cause unsettled to major storm conditions. Quiet to active is likely on January 8.
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.
(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 | ||||||||||
11937 | 2013.12.25 2013.12.26 |
21 | 17 | 10 | S13W71 | 0160 | DAC | DAC |
beta-gamma area: 0330 location: S14W68 |
||
11938 | 2013.12.26 2013.12.27 |
3 | 2 | 1 | S14W59 | 0010 | CRO | CRO | area: 0018 | ||
S2959 | 2013.12.27 | N18W51 | plage | ||||||||
S2965 | 2013.12.29 | S28W49 | plage | ||||||||
S2966 | 2013.12.29 | S14W32 | plage | ||||||||
S2971 | 2013.12.30 | S20W20 | plage | ||||||||
11943 | 2013.12.30 2013.12.31 |
7 | 23 | 7 | S11E07 | 0030 | CRO | CRO |
area: 0055 location: S12E19 |
||
11942 | 2013.12.30 2013.12.31 |
3 | 16 | 8 | N10W06 | 0020 | HSX | DAO | area: 0070 | ||
11944 | 2013.12.31 2014.01.01 |
112 | 125 | 67 | S09E25 | 1480 | FKC | FKC |
beta-gamma-delta area: 2700 |
||
S2977 | 2013.12.31 | N14W42 | plage | ||||||||
11945 | 2014.01.01 2014.01.02 |
1 | 9 | 3 | N11W25 | 0010 | AXX | BXO | location: N10W23 | ||
S2980 | 2014.01.01 | S04W32 | plage | ||||||||
S2983 | 2014.01.03 | N21E39 | plage | ||||||||
S2984 | 2014.01.03 | N38W31 | plage | ||||||||
S2986 | 2014.01.03 | S26W07 | plage | ||||||||
11946 | 2014.01.04 | 8 | 25 | 13 | N09E21 | 0080 | DAI | DAC |
beta-gamma location: N09E23 area: 0300 |
||
S2988 | 2014.01.04 | N20E08 | plage | ||||||||
S2989 | 2014.01.04 | N00W28 | plage | ||||||||
S2990 | 2014.01.04 | 3 | 3 | S09W32 | 0014 | BXO | |||||
S2991 | 2014.01.05 | 1 | 1 | N06E80 | 0160 | HSX | |||||
S2992 | 2014.01.05 | 2 | 2 | N17E35 | 0020 | BXO | |||||
S2993 | 2014.01.05 | 1 | 1 | N04E08 | 0004 | AXX | |||||
S2994 | 2014.01.05 | 8 | 4 | N11W54 | 0070 | DRO | |||||
S2995 | 2014.01.05 | 3 | S15E46 | 0006 | BXO | ||||||
Total spot count: | 155 | 235 | 120 | ||||||||
Sunspot number: | 225 | 365 | 240 | (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions) | |||||||
Weighted SN: | 186 | 274 | 159 | (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): | 135 | 128 | 132 | k * (sunspot number). k = 0.6 for SWPC, k = 0.35 for STAR SDO 2K, k = 0.55 for STAR SDO 1K |
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) possible cycle 24 max |
8.81 |
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 | 62.6 (+2.7) | 12.60 |
2013.07 | 115.5 | 57.0 | (65.4 projected, +2.8) | 9.47 |
2013.08 | 114.6 | 66.0 | (67.8 projected, +2.4) | 8.27 |
2013.09 | 102.6 | 36.9 | (70.1 projected, +2.3) | 5.23 |
2013.10 | 132.1 | 85.6 | (70.0 projected, -0.1) | 7.71 |
2013.11 | 148.3 | 77.6 | (68.1 projected, -1.9) | 5.68 |
2013.12 | 147.7 | 90.3 | (67.4 projected, -0.7) | 4.6 |
2014.01 | 186.6 (1) | 25.9 (2A) / 160.8 (2B) / 98.4 (2C) | (67.6 projected, +0.2) | (9.3) |
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.