Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on January 21, 2014 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 January 1, 2014)] [Cycle 24 progress (last update January 1, 2014) ]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last update January 1, 2014)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 24 (last update January 1, 2014)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (last update April 5, 2007)]
[Archived reports since January 2003 (last update January 1, 2014)]

[POES auroral activity level since October 2009 - updated January 26, 2013]
[Solar polar fields vs solar cycles - updated January 11, 2014]
[Presentation 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013 (pdf)]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was very quiet on January 20. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 285 and 306 km/s. Solar wind speed and density has increased slowly early on January 21, probably due to a low speed stream from CH600.

Solar flux at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 137.4 (increasing 9.1 over the last solar rotation). The 90 day 10.7 flux at 1 AU was 148.1. The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 1 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 1.1). Three hour interval K indices: 00100000 (planetary), 00212321 (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 19 active regions in 2K resolution (SN: 303) and 17 active regions in 1K resolution (SN: 220) SDO images on the visible solar disk.

Region 11949 [S15W85] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 11952 [S32W40] was quiet and stable.
Region 11955 [S13E09] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 11957 [N12E08] gained spots and was quiet.
Region 11958 [S08E38] developed slowly and quietly.
Region 11959 [S23E48] developed slowly and is the most active region on the visible disk. C and minor M class flares are possible.
Region 11960 [S15E49] was quiet and stable.
New region 11961 [S11W33] emerged on January 19 and was numbered by SWPC the next day.
New region 11962 [S37E06] emerged on January 17 with SWPC numbering the region 3 days later. The region developed early on January 20 and decayed during the latter half of the day.

Spotted regions not numbered (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S3038 [N00E47] was quiet and stable.
S3039 [S20E17] was quiet and stable.
S3044 [S07E71] rotated fully into view.
New region S3048 [N07E43] emerged with a penumbra spot.
New region S3049 [S10E22] emerged with a penumbra spot.
New region S3050 [S09W10] emerged with penumbra spots.
New region S3051 [S13E67] emerged with several spots.
New region S3052 [S15E87] rotated partly into view.
New region S3053 [S08E07] emerged with a penumbra spot.

The most interesting event of the day was a long duration C3.6 event peaking at 22:49 UTC. Its source was a filament eruption near AR S3044.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

January 18-20: 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 (CH600) rotated across the central meridian on January 18.

Coronal hole map

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 poor to fair.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to unsettled on January 21-22 due to weak effects from CH600 and quiet on January 23.

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
11949 2014.01.07
2014.01.08
2 2 1 S15W84 0020 HAX HRX  
11954 2014.01.08
2014.01.14
      N08W79           plage
11952 2014.01.10
2014.01.11
1 5 1 S32W42 0030 HSX CSO

area: 0070

S3017 2014.01.13       S30W46           plage
11956 2014.01.14
2014.01.17
      S15W06           plage
S3022 2014.01.14       S13W52           plage
S3024 2014.01.14       N15W47           plage
11955 2014.01.15
2014.01.16
1 4 2 S14E09 0040 HAX HAX area: 0100
S3027 2014.01.15       S27W54           plage
S3028 2014.01.15       N22W51           plage
S3029 2014.01.16       S26E28         plage
11957 2014.01.17 8 22 13 N12E07 0030 DRO CRI area: 0070
11958 2014.01.17 1 5 4 S07E36 0050 CSO CSO area: 0090
11962 2014.01.17
2014.01.20
3 7 3 S37E05 0020 CRO BXO  
S3032 2014.01.17       S14W02           plage
11959 2014.01.17
2014.01.18
7 27 12 S24E47 0190 EAI ESC beta-gamma

area: 0370

11960 2014.01.17
2014.01.18
1 1 1 S15E49 0200 HAX HHX area: 0470
S3035 2014.01.17       S32W09           plage
S3036 2014.01.18   1 1 N10W03 0004   AXX    
S3038 2014.01.18   2 1 N00E47 0005   BXO  
S3039 2014.01.18   2 2 S20E17 0010   BXO  
S3040 2014.01.18       S18E39           plage
S3041 2014.01.18       S06W30           plage
S3043 2014.01.19       S15W15         plage
S3044 2014.01.19   6 3 S07E71 0080   DAO  
11961 2014.01.19
2014.01.20
6 16 9 S12W34 0040 DAO DAC area: 0170
S3046 2014.01.19       S38W22         plage
S3047 2014.01.19       N19W41         plage
S3048 2014.01.20   1 1 N07E43 0004   AXX    
S3049 2014.01.20   1   S10E22 0001   AXX    
S3050 2014.01.20   4 1 S09W10 0015   AXX    
S3051 2014.01.20   5 4 S13E67 0030   CRO    
S3052 2014.01.20   1   S15E87 0007   AXX    
S3053 2014.01.20   1 1 S08E07 0006   AXX    
Total spot count: 30 113 60  
Sunspot number: 120 303 220  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 71 162 109  (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): 72 106 121 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)
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) 4.68
2014.01 163.1 (1) 86.8 (2A) / 134.5 (2B) / 101.1 (2C) (67.6 projected, +0.2) (5.7)

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.