Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on August 26, 2018 at 05:40 UT.

Charts (* = updated daily) Data and archive
  Solar wind (*) Solar and geomagnetic data - last month (*)
  Electron fluence (*) Archived daily reports and monthly data since 2003.01 (August 3, 2018)
Solar cycle Solar cycles 23-24 (August 2, 2018) Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (April 5, 2007)
  Cycle 24 progress (August 2, 2018) / Cycle 25 spots (June 1, 2018) Noon SDO sunspot count 1K image / 4K (*)
  Solar cycles 1-24 (July 17, 2015) POES auroral activity level October 2009 - December 2012]
  Comparison of cycles 21, 22, 23 and 24 (August 2, 2018) 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013
  Comparison of cycles 12, 13, 14, 16 and 24 (August 2, 2018) 4th SSN Workshop, Locarno, 2014
  Solar polar fields vs. solar cycles (July 18, 2018)  

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet to active on August 25. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 337 and 483 km/s. While no solar wind shock was observed, the field was under the influence of CME effects most of the day (the source of this slow moving CME is likely a filament eruption in the northern hemisphere on August 20). The total field of the interplanetary field was on the increase most of the day and was moderately strong by midnight. The field was almost fully southwards at the time and minor to major geomagnetic storming has been observed early on August 26.

Solar flux at 20h UTC on 2.8 GHz was 71.6 (increasing 3.6 over the previous solar rotation). The average 90 day 10.7 flux at 1 AU was 72.8. The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 10 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 10.5). Three hour interval K indices: 11222134 (planetary), 11323434 (Boulder)

The background x-ray flux is at the class A1 level.

At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 2 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 38) and in 2 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 30) SDO/HMI images.

Region 12720 [N08W39] is a reversed polarities region and matured on August 25 losing small and intermediate spots.

Spotted regions not numbered (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S6028 [S06W35] decayed slowly and quietly. To SWPC this is AR 12719, which was initially another region.

C2+ flares:

Magnitude Peak time (UT) Location AR Recorded by Comment
           

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

August 23-25: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in available LASCO 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]

No obvious coronal holes are currently in or near Earth facing positions.

Propagation

Long distance low and medium frequency (below 2 MHz) propagation along paths north of due west over upper middle latitudes is very poor. Propagation on long distance northeast-southwest paths is poor.

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be unsettled to major storm on August 26 and quiet to active on August 27 due to CME effects. Quiet conditions are likely on August 28-29.

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). 4K 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 overlays
Comment
SWPC Magnetic
(SDO)
SWPC STAR Current Previous
2K 1K
12719 2018.08.18
2018.08.19
4     S06W36 0030 CRO       no countable spots in this AR

location: S06W39

SWPC data is that of AR S6028 as they failed to observe the presence of 2 separate regions

S6028 2018.08.21   6 2 S06W35 0020   BXO  
S6029 2018.08.21       S06W14            
12720 2018.08.23
2018.08.24
7 12 8 N08W39 0100 DAO DAO area: 0140
Total spot count: 11 18 10  
Sunspot number: 31 38 30  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 19 23 15  (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): 34 21 24 k * (sunspot number)
As of May 7, 2016: k = 1.1 for SWPC, k = 0.55 for MSN 2K, k = 0.80 for MSN 1K (MSN=Magnetic Sunspot Number)

Monthly solar cycle data

Month Average solar flux International sunspot number
(WDC-SILSO)
Smoothed sunspot number (4) Average ap
(3)
Measured 1 AU
2014.02 170.3
(cycle peak)
166.3 146.1 (cycle peak) 110.5 10.70
2014.04 143.9 144.8 112.5 116.4 (solar max) 7.88
2017.02 76.8 75.0 26.1 26.5 (-1.3) 9.58
2017.03 74.6 73.9 17.7 25.7 (-0.8) 14.20
2017.04 80.3 80.8 32.6 24.8 (-0.9) 11.70
2017.05 73.6 75.2 18.8 23.3 (-1.5) 8.09
2017.06 74.7 77.1 19.4 22.2 (-1.1) 6.08
2017.07 77.4 79.9 18.3 21.0 (-1.2) 8.97
2017.08 77.9 79.8 33.1 19.5 (-1.5) 10.66
2017.09 91.3 92.3 43.6 18.2 (-1.3) 18.22 (cycle peak)
2017.10 76.4 75.6 13.2 16.6 (-1.6) 10.30
2017.11 72.2 70.6 5.7 15.4 (-1.2) 10.06
2017.12 71.6 69.3 8.2 15.1 (-0.3) 7.33
2018.01 69.9 67.7 6.7 14.3 (-0.8) 5.53
2018.02 72.0 70.2 10.6 (12.4 projected, -1.9) 6.40
2018.03 68.3 67.6 2.5 (9.5 projected, -2.9) 7.91
2018.04 70.0 70.5 8.9 (7.6 projected, -1.9) 6.80
2018.05 70.8 72.4 13.2 (7.2 projected, -0.4) 7.16
2018.06 72.5 74.7 15.9 (6.9 projected, -0.3) 6.83
2018.07 69.6 72.3 1.6 (6.5 projected, -0.4) 5.38
2018.08 (69.0)   6.8 (2A) / 8.5 (2B) / 9.6 (2C) (6.2 projected, -0.3) (6.1)
2018.09       (6.2 projected, 0.0)  
2018.10       (6.1 projected, -0.1)  
2018.11       (6.0 projected, -0.1)  
2018.12       (5.9 projected, -0.1)  
2019.01       (6.1 projected, +0.2)  

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).
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 Universal Time. Comments and suggestions are always welcome.

SDO images are courtesy of NASA/SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams.