Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on May 2, 2014 at 04:55 UTC.

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

[POES auroral activity level October 2009 - December 2012]
[Solar polar fields vs solar cycles - updated April 17, 2014]
[Presentation 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013 (pdf)]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet on May 1. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 292 and 427 km/s.

Solar flux at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 125.7 (decreasing 31.2 over the last solar rotation). The 90 day 10.7 flux at 1 AU was 152.6. The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 4 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 4.0). Three hour interval K indices: 22101010 (planetary), 14211211 (Boulder).

The background x-ray flux is at the class B3 level.

At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 11 active regions in 2K resolution (SN: 238) and 10 active regions in 1K resolution (SN: 170) SDO images on the visible solar disk.

Region 12045 [S23W80] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 12047 [S17W12] developed further and was quiet. M class flares are possible.
Region 12049 [S07E20] gained a weak magnetic delta structure in the central spot section. An M class flare is possible.
Region 12050 [N12E21] decayed slowly and quietly.
New region 12051 [S09W22] emerged quickly.

Spotted regions not numbered (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S3359 [S30W25] was quiet and stable.
S3374 [S12E04] was quiet and stable.
S3375 [S09W12] was quiet and stable.
New region S3377 [N03W03] was observed with penumbra spots.
New region S3378 [S11E62] emerged with penumbra spots.
New region S3379 [S06E70] rotated into view with a penumbra spot.

C2+ Flares (SDO/EVE):

Magnitude Time (UTC) Location AR
       

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

April 29, May 1: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in LASCO and STEREO imagery.
April 30: A faint CME (likely associated with a filament eruption to the east of AR 12047) was observed early in the day in LASCO C2.

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 small coronal hole (CH614) in the northern hemisphere will rotate across the central meridian on May 2.

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 fair.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be mostly quiet on May 2-4. A weak CME could reach Earth early on May 3 and cause unsettled intervals. On May 5-6 there's a chance of weak effects from CH614 and some unsettled intervals.

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
12045 2014.04.18
2014.04.19
1 1 1 S24W85 0030 HSX HSX

location: S23W80

S3355 2014.04.24       N18W44           plage
S3356 2014.04.24       S16W37           plage
S3358 2014.04.25       S13W36         plage
S3359 2014.04.25   5 2 S30W25 0009   AXX  
S3360 2014.04.25       S24W56           plage
12047 2014.04.26 19 43 28 S18W13 0150 DSC EAC

beta-gamma

area: 0490

S3366 2014.04.26       N09W49           plage
12049 2014.04.26
2014.04.27
18 35 18 S07E15 0430 EKC DKC area: 0630

location: S07E20

12050 2014.04.27 1 9 5 N12E17 0030 HAX CAO area: 0060

location: N12E21

S3371 2014.04.27       S12W24           plage
S3373 2014.04.27       N13W35         plage
S3374 2014.04.28   7 4 S12E04 0020   BXO  
S3375 2014.04.28   4 1 S09W12 0008   BXO  
12051 2014.04.30 4 16 7 S09W22 0010 BXO DAI   area: 0090
S3377 2014.05.01   3 2 N03W03 0008   BXO    
S3378 2014.05.01   4 2 S11E62 0012   BXO    
S3379 2014.05.01   1   S06E70 0002   AXX    
Total spot count: 43 128 70  
Sunspot number: 93 238 170  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 68 158 100  (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): 56 83 94 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
2013.02 104.3 101.8 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 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 (75.6 projected, +0.6) 5.68
2013.12 147.7 143.1 90.3 (76.6 projected, +1.0) 4.68
2014.01 157.4 152.4 82.0 (77.6 projected, +1.0) 5.44
2014.02 170.3
(cycle peak)
166.3 102.8 (cycle peak) (77.4 projected, -0.2) 10.70
2014.03 149.9 148.5 92.2 (77.9 projected, +0.5) 4.88
2014.04 143.9 144.8 84.7 (77.0 projected, -0.9) 7.8
2014.05 125.7 (1)   3.0 (2A) / 93 (2B) / 97.1 (2C) (74.4 projected, -2.6) (4.0)

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.