Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on September 6, 2014 at 06:35 UTC.

[Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (updated daily)]
[Solar wind and electron fluence charts (updated daily)]
[Solar cycles 23-24 (last update September 1, 2014)] [Cycle 24 progress (last update September 1, 2014) ]
[Solar cycles 1-20]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (last update September 1, 2014)]
[Graphical comparison of cycles 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 and 24 (last update September 1, 2014)]
[Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (last update April 5, 2007)]
[Archived reports since January 2003 (last update September 6, 2014)]

[POES auroral activity level October 2009 - December 2012]
[Solar polar fields vs solar cycles - updated September 6, 2014]
[Presentations: 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013 (pdf) / 4th SSN Workshop, Locarno, 2014]

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet on September 5. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 340 and 419 km/s. A solar wind disturbance related to the CME observed on September 2 arrived at ACE near 04:30 UTC on September 6.

Solar flux at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 144 (increasing 31 over the last solar rotation). The 90 day 10.7 flux at 1 AU was 133.5. The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 6 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 6.4). Three hour interval K indices: 11222222 (planetary), 12243412 (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 16 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 273) and 14 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 198) SDO images on the visible solar disk.

Region 12152 [S14W51] decayed slowly and was mostly quiet.
Region 12153 [S10W78] was quiet and stable.
Region 12154 [S18W04] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 12155 [S19E48] was mostly unchanged and mostly quiet.
Region 12156 [N15E44] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 12157 [S13E60] produced several C flares during the day and is a complex region capable of producing a major flare. The largest penumbra has a magnetic delta structure.
Region 12158 [N14E68] is a complex region with a fairly strong magnetic delta structure inside the large penumbra. A major flare, even an X class flare, is possible.
New region 12159 [S21E77] rotated into view.

Spotted regions not numbered (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S3776 [N12W19] was quiet and stable.
S3781 [S08E08] was quiet and stable.
S3786 [S19W30] was quiet and stable.
S3791 [N09E24] gained a trailing polarity penumbra spot.
New region S3798 [N08E11] emerged with a few spots.
New region S3799 [S04E22] emerged with a penumbra spot.
New region S3800 [S08W38] emerged with penumbra spots.
New region S3801 [N02W14] emerged with a penumbra spot.

C2+ Flares (GOES):

Magnitude Peak time (UTC) Location AR
C3.8 01:44   12155
C2.1 06:04   12157
C6.7/1N (LDE) 06:54 S14E69 12157
C3.2 09:33 S13E64 12157

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

September 3-5: 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 extension of a northern hemisphere coronal hole (CH634) was in an Earth facing position on September 5.

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 September 6 with a chance of active intervals due to CME effects. On September 7-8 quiet conditions are likely.

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
12153 2014.08.26
2014.08.29
4 4 2 S09W78 0150 DSO DAO area: 0280
12152 2014.08.26
2014.08.28
11 20 8 S15W51 0190 EAO EAO

 

S3776 2014.08.30   3 1 N12W19 0008   BXO images/AR_S3776_20140905_2345.png images/AR_S3776_20140904_2345.png  
S3779 2014.08.30       N10W45           plage
S3781 2014.08.31   4 2 S08E08 0013   BXO  
S3782 2014.08.31       N24W41           plage
12154 2014.09.01
2014.09.02
9 12 6 S18W05 0040 CAO DRO area: 0020
S3784 2014.09.01       S28W41           plage
S3786 2014.09.02   1   S19W30 0003   AXX  
S3788 2014.09.02       S31W22           plage
S3791 2014.09.03   1 1 N09E24 0003   AXX  
12155 2014.09.03 6 14 8 S20E47 0120 DAO CAO  
12157 2014.09.03
2014.09.04
14 27 13 S14E58 0520 DKC EKC beta-gamma-delta

area: 0600

location: S13E60

12156 2014.09.03
2014.09.04
  2   N15E42 0004   BXO  
12158 2014.09.04 4 9 6 N15E68 0300 CKO DKC beta-delta

area: 0520

S3796 2014.09.04       N08W00         plage
12159 2014.09.05 6 6 3 S19E74 0030 CAO DRO   location: S21E77

area: 0050

S3798 2014.09.05   5 5 N08E11 0030   DRO    
S3799 2014.09.05   1 1 S04E22 0003   AXX    
S3800 2014.09.05   3 1 S08W38 0013   BXO    
S3801 2014.09.05   1 1 N02W14 0003   AXX    
Total spot count: 54 113 58  
Sunspot number: 124 273 198  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 99 157 102  (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): 74 96 109 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
2013.05 131.4 134.3 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) 78.4 (+1.1) 10.70
2014.03 149.9 148.5 91.9 (79.8 projected, +1.4) 4.88
2014.04 143.9 144.8 84.7 (79.2 projected, -0.6) 7.88
2014.05 129.7 132.9 75.2 (76.6 projected, -2.6) 5.75
2014.06 122.0 125.8 71.0 (74.0 projected, -2.6) 6.72
2014.07 137.4 141.8 72.5 (71.0 projected, -3.0) 4.50
2014.08 124.6   74.7 (67.5 projected, -3.5) 7.71
2014.09 137.8 (1)   18.8 (2A) / 112.6 (2B) / 71.4 (2C) (63.3 projected, -4.2) (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.