Last major update issued on March 22, 2014 at 07:20 UTC.
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The geomagnetic field was quiet to unsettled on March 21. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 289 and 389 km/s. ACE data indicate that a weak stream from CH608 has arrived early on March 22.
Solar flux at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 152.6 (decreasing 10.6 over the last solar rotation). The 90 day 10.7 flux at 1 AU was 153.0. The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 7 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 7.1). Three hour interval K indices: 22222312 (planetary), 32333412 (Boulder).
The background x-ray flux is at the class B7 level.
At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 17 active regions in 2K resolution (SN: 357) and 17 active regions in 1K resolution (SN: 269) SDO images on the visible solar disk.
Region 12004 [S10W78] decayed further leaving only
penumbra spots as the region rotate to the southwest limb.
Region 12005 [N11W47] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 12008 [S11W09] was quiet and stable.
Region 12010 [S15E14] gained spots and developed a weak magnetic delta
structure as positive polarity flux emerged in the trailing spot section. A
minor M class flare is possible.
Region 12011 [S08W65] gained penumbral area. There is a weak magnetic
delta structure in the southern part of the leader spot. An M class flare is
possible.
Region 12012 [S12E24] reemerged with penumbra spots.
Region 12013 [N13E28] was quiet and stable.
Region 12014 [S13E47] regained umbra on the trailing polarity.
Spotted regions not numbered (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S3225 [S14W13] reemerged with several spots.
S3226 [S10W19] decayed slowly and produced a few low level C flares. SWPC
has moved AR 12008 10 degrees to the west to include the spots in AR S3226.
S3236 [S28E20] developed slowly and quietly.
S3241 [N14W00] was quiet and stable.
S3248 [S01E58] decayed slightly and lost the umbra.
S3249 [S05W47] was quiet and stable.
New region S3251 [S09W38] emerged with a penumbra spot.
New region S3253 [N10E73] rotated into view.
New region S3254 [S02E06] emerged with penumbra spots.
March 19-21: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in LASCO and STEREO imagery.
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 small trans equatorial coronal hole (CH608) was in an Earth facing position on March 19-20.
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.
The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet on March 22-23 with a chance of unsettled intervals due to weak effects from CH608. Quiet conditions are likely on March 24.
| 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 | Magnetic (SDO) |
SWPC | STAR | Current | Previous | ||||||
| 2K | 1K | ||||||||||
| 12004 | 2014.03.09 2014.03.10 |
5 | 2 | 1 | S09W85 | 0030 | CAO | AXX |
 |
 |
location: S10W79 area: 0010 |
| 12005 | 2014.03.11 2014.03.12 |
1 | 7 | 1 | N13W47 | 0200 | HSX | CHO | images/AR_12005_20140321_2345.png | images/AR_12005_20140320_2345.png |
area: 0270 location: N11W47 |
| 12007 | 2014.03.13 2014.03.14 |
N11W33 | trailing part of AR 12005 | ||||||||
| 12009 | 2014.03.13 2014.03.16 |
N14W72 |
plage location: N11W71 |
||||||||
| 12008 | 2014.03.14 2014.03.15 |
11 | 10 | 5 | S10W19 | 0050 | DAI | BXO |
 |
 |
area: 0020 SWPC has moved the region 10 degrees to the west and currently counts the spots of AR S3226. real location: S11W09 |
| S3225 | 2014.03.15 | 15 | 6 | S14W13 | DRI |
 |
|||||
| S3226 | 2014.03.15 | 24 | 15 | S10W19 | 0090 | DRI |
 |
 |
|||
| S3227 | 2014.03.15 | S26W27 |
 |
plage | |||||||
| S3229 | 2014.03.16 | S08W41 | plage | ||||||||
| 12010 | 2014.03.16 2014.03.17 |
13 | 52 | 30 | S15E13 | 0130 | DAC | DAC |
 |
 |
beta-gamma-delta area: 0340 |
| S3231 | 2014.03.16 | S19W26 | plage | ||||||||
| S3232 | 2014.03.16 | S24W30 | plage | ||||||||
| S3233 | 2014.03.17 | S27E04 |
 |
plage | |||||||
| 12012 | 2014.03.17 2014.03.18 |
4 | 3 | S09E19 | 0013 | BXO |
 |
location: S12E24 | |||
| 12013 | 2014.03.17 2014.03.18 |
1 | 9 | 3 | N13E30 | 0030 | HAX | CSO |
 |
 |
area: 0080 |
| S3236 | 2014.03.17 | 10 | 7 | S28E20 | 0035 | CRO |
 |
 |
|||
| S3237 | 2014.03.17 | S23W12 | plage | ||||||||
| 12011 | 2014.03.18 | 12 | 21 | 8 | S07W63 | 0220 | DAO | DKC |
 |
 |
beta-gamma-delta area: 0460 location: S08W65 |
| 12014 | 2014.03.18 2014.03.19 |
12 | 19 | 11 | S15E47 | 0150 | DAO | DAO |
 |
 |
location: S13E47 area: 0240 |
| S3241 | 2014.03.18 | 4 | 1 | N14W00 | 0012 | BXO |
 |
 |
|||
| S3242 | 2014.03.18 | N21W31 | plage | ||||||||
| S3244 | 2014.03.19 | N17E15 | plage | ||||||||
| S3245 | 2014.03.19 | S18W22 |
 |
plage | |||||||
| S3246 | 2014.03.19 | S02W15 | plage | ||||||||
| S3248 | 2014.03.20 | 2 | 1 | S01E58 | 0010 | AXX |
 |
 |
|||
| S3249 | 2014.03.20 | 2 | 2 | S05W47 | 0006 | BXO |
 |
 |
|||
| S3250 | 2014.03.20 | N39W04 |
 |
plage | |||||||
| S3251 | 2014.03.21 | 1 | 1 | S09W38 | 0008 | AXX |
 |
||||
| S3253 | 2014.03.21 | 3 | 2 | N10E73 | 0030 | CRO |
 |
||||
| S3254 | 2014.03.21 | 2 | 2 | S02E06 | 0010 | AXX |
 |
||||
| Total spot count: | 55 | 187 | 99 | ||||||||
| Sunspot number: | 125 | 357 | 269 | (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions) | |||||||
| Weighted SN: | 85 | 234 | 146 | (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): | 75 | 125 | 148 | k * (sunspot number). k = 0.6 for SWPC, k = 0.35 for MSN 2K, k = 0.55 for MSN 1K (MSN=Magnetic Sunspot Number) | |||||||
| Month | Average solar flux | International sunspot number (WDC-SILSO) |
Smoothed sunspot number | Average ap (3) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Measured | 1 AU | ||||
| 2012.11 | 121.3 | 118.3 | 61.8 | 59.7 (+1.1) | 7.08 |
| 2012.12 | 108.6 | 105.0 | 40.8 | 59.6 (-0.1) | 3.44 |
| 2013.01 | 127.1 | 123.1 | 62.9 | 58.7 (-0.9) | 4.69 |
| 2013.02 | 104.3 | 101.8 | 38.0 | 58.4 (-0.3) | 6.11 |
| 2013.03 | 111.3 | 110.2 | 57.9 | 57.5 (-0.9) | 10.56 |
| 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 | (72.8 projected, +3.8) | 5.23 |
| 2013.10 | 132.1 | 131.2 | 85.6 | (73.8 projected, +1.0) | 7.71 |
| 2013.11 | 148.3 | 145.1 | 77.6 | (72.7 projected, -1.1) | 5.68 |
| 2013.12 | 147.7 | 143.1 | 90.3 | (71.6 projected, -1.1) | 4.68 |
| 2014.01 | 157.4 | 152.4 | 82.0 | (71.6 projected, 0.0) | 5.44 |
| 2014.02 | 170.3 (cycle peak) |
166.3 | 102.8 (cycle peak) | (70.9 projected, -0.7) | 10.70 |
| 2014.03 | 149.3 (1) | 97.1 (2A) / 143.3 (2B) / 119.7 (2C) | (71.0 projected, +0.1) | (4.6) | |
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.
