Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on July 14, 2023 at 06:50 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 (July 6, 2023)
Solar cycle Solar cycles 23-25 (July 1, 2023) Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (April 5, 2007)
  Cycle 24-25 progress (July 1, 2023) Noon SDO sunspot count 1K image / 4K (*)
  Solar cycles 1-24 (July 1, 2020) POES auroral activity level [October 2009 - December 2012]
  Comparison of cycles 21-25 (July 1, 2023) 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013
  Comparison of cycles 12-14, 16, 24-25 (July 1, 2023) 4th SSN Workshop, Locarno, 2014
  Solar polar fields vs. solar cycles (July 10, 2023) Cycle 25 spots (final update December 25, 2019)
  Solar cycles 24-25 transition using 365d smoothing Research: Solar Cycle 25 Started on November 17, 2019 with 365 Days Smoothing

Recent activity

The geomagnetic field was quiet to unsettled on July 13. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 283 and 383 km/sec. The high latitude magnetometer at Andenes recorded quiet to unsettled levels. Very weak solar wind shocks were observed at DSCOVR at 11:09 and 15:50 UT, one of them likely the arrival of the July 10 CME.

Solar flux density measured at 20h UT on 2.8 GHz was 202.9 - increasing 45.7 over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 147.29. In comparison SC24 peaked on June 28, 2014 at 145.50). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 6 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 6.1). Three hour interval K indices: 21111322 (planetary), 21222332 (Boulder), 21112332 (Andenes).

The background x-ray flux is at the class C2 level (GOES 16).

At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 15 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 271) and in 12 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 184) SDO/HMI images.

Region 13361 [N25W78] decayed and lost mature penumbra on the trailing spots.
Region 13362 [S08W45] was quiet and stable.
Region 13363 [S22W20] was mostly quiet despite the presence of 3 magnetic delta structures. The main penumbra elongated and lost some latitudinal extension. A major flare is possible.
Region 13364 [N24W39] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 13367 [N09W55] decayed slowly and was mostly quiet.
Region 13368 [S18W83] rotated mostly out of view and was quiet.
Region 13370 [S15E18] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 13371 [S16E35] was quiet and stable.
Region 13372 [N23E53] continued to be unstable producing many C flares and a single M flare. The trailing spot section appears to have at least one small magnetic delta structure.

Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted differently) by SWPC/USAF:
S8756 [S15E11] was quiet and stable.
New region S8761 [N22W00] emerged with tiny spots.
New region S8762 [N08E80] rotated into view with mature spots.
New region S8763 [S07E81] rotated into view with a mature spot.
New region S8764 [N17E27] was observed with tiny spots in an old plage area.
New region S8765 [S00E49] emerged with a tiny spot.

C2+ flares:

Magnitude Peak time (UT) Location Source Recorded by Comment
C7.5 00:42   13372 GOES16  
C8.0 00:58   13372 GOES16  
C4.8 02:08   13372 GOES16  
C5.5 02:22   13372 GOES16  
C5.2 02:48 N24E62 13372 GOES16  
C5.0 03:36   13372 GOES16  
C4.3 03:58 northeast limb S8762 GOES16  
C3.6 04:39   13361 GOES16  
C7.7/1B 05:11   13372 GOES16  
C9.3 05:21   13372 GOES16  
C4.3 07:34   13372 GOES16  
C4.8 08:13   13372 GOES16  
C3.4 08:50   13368 GOES16  
C5.1 09:55 southeast limb S8763 GOES16 incorrectly attributed to AR 13372 by SWPC
C4.5 10:18 southeast limb S8763 GOES16  
C4.7 11:20 southeast limb S8763 GOES16 attributed to simultaneous flare in AR 13372 by SWPC
C3.7 12:15   13372 GOES16  
C9.7/1F 12:44   13372 GOES16  
C5.7 14:03 southeast limb S8763 GOES16  
C5.9 14:46   13367 GOES16  
C3.9 16:06   13372 GOES16  
C4.7 16:52   13372 GOES16  
C3.4 17:31   13368 GOES16  
C5.6 18:52   13361 GOES16  
M2.1/1N 19:20 N24E57 13372 GOES16  
C3.6 22:29 N09W53 13367 GOES16  
C6.9 22:48 N25E58 13372 GOES16  

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

July 11: An asymmetrical full halo CME was observed after 19:36 UT following a large filament eruption near and to the southwest of AR 13363. The CME could reach Earth on July 14 and cause unsettled to major storm conditions.
July 12-13: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed.

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 northern hemisphere coronal hole (CH1159) rotated across the central meridian on July 10. CH1159 lost a large part of its area after July 7 due to the development of AR 13367. A trans equatorial area of weak corona has become CH1160. CH1160 was Earth facing July 11-13.

Propagation

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

Forecast

The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet to active on July 14-16 due to CME and coronal hole effects, minor storm intervals are possible on July 14-15 if the July 11 CME arrives.

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 officially numbered solar regions according to the Solar Region Summary provided by NOAA/SWPC, all other regions are numbered sequentially as they emerge using the STAR spot number. 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. SWPC data considered to be not sufficiently precise (location, area, classification) are colored red.

Active region SWPC date numbered
STAR detected
Spot count Location at midnight Area Classification SDO / HMI 4K continuum
image with magnetic polarity overlays
Comment
SWPC/
USAF
Magnetic
(SDO)
SWPC STAR Current Previous
2K 1K
13368 2023.07.02
2023.07.09
  1   S17W92 0002   AXX location: N25W83
13361 2023.07.02
2023.07.04
5 4 3 N25W75 0150 CSO CSO

location: N25W78

area: 0230

13362 2023.07.04
2023.07.05
1 3 2 S08W45 0020 HRX HRX  
13363 2023.07.05
2023.07.06
20 38 20 S23W20 0800 DKO DKC beta-gamma-delta

location: S22W20

area: 1030

13364 2023.07.05
2023.07.06
1 2 1 N25W39 0000 AXX AXX

area: 0003

13367 2023.07.07
2023.07.08
16 20 13 N10W56 0200 EAI EAI beta-gamma
13369 2023.07.08
2023.07.09
      S18W79          

location: S19W75

S8746 2023.07.08       S29W42            
13370 2023.07.09
2023.07.10
5 8 2 S15E21 0020 CRO CRO

location: S15E18

S8748 2023.07.09       N31W33            
13371 2023.07.10
2023.07.11
2 9 4 S15E34 0030 HAX HAX area: 0090

location: S16E35

S8752 2023.07.10       N15E07          
S8753 2023.07.10       S29E27          
13372 2023.07.11
2023.07.11
16 19 12 N24E53 0650 EKO FHC

beta-delta

location: N23E53

area: 1230

S8755 2023.07.11       N51W18            
S8756 2023.07.11   2   S15E11 0003   AXX  
S8757 2023.07.11       N21W11            
S8758 2023.07.12       N26E16          
S8759 2023.07.12       S01W08          
S8761 2023.07.13   2 1 N22W00 0005   BXO    
S8762 2023.07.13   4 3 N08E80 0400   DKO    
S8763 2023.07.13   1 1 S07E81 0110   HAX    
S8764 2023.07.13   5 2 N17E27 0009   AXX    
S8765 2023.07.13   1   S00E49 0001   AXX    
Total spot count: 66 121 64  
Sunspot number: 146 271 184  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 107 177 120  (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): 161 149 147  

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 (SC24 peak) 110.5 10.70
2014.04 143.9 144.8 112.5 116.4 (SC24 solar max) 7.88
2017.09 91.3 92.3 43.6 18.2 (-1.3) 18.22
(SC24 peak)
2019.11 70.2 68.7 0.5 2.0 (-0.6)
(Solar minimum using 365d smoothing:
November 17, 2019)
4.19
2019.12 70.8 68.6 1.6 1.8 (-0.2)
(ISN 13 months smoothed
solar minimum)
3.22
2021.12 103.0 99.8 67.5 55.9 (+5.1) 6.40
2022.01 103.8 100.5 55.3 60.1 (+4.2) 8.92
2022.02 109.1 106.5 60.9 64.7 (+4.6) 10.46
2022.03 117.0 115.8 78.6 68.7 (+4.0) 10.20
2022.04 130.8 131.7 84.0 73.0 (+4.3) 11.79
2022.05 133.8 136.8 96.5 77.4 (+4.4) 7.48
2022.06 116.1 119.8 70.3 81.1 (+3.7) 8.20
2022.07 125.4 129.5 91.4 86.7 (+5.6) 9.51
2022.08 114.2 117.1 74.6 92.5 (+5.8) 10.92
2022.09 135.1 136.5 96.0 96.4 (+3.9) 12.18
2022.10 133.5 132.7 95.5 98.7 (+2.3) 11.16
2022.11 123.4 120.7 80.5 101.0 (+2.3) 9.33
2022.12 147.9 143.4 112.8 106.6 (+5.6) 10.99
2023.01 182.4 176.6 143.6 (113.7 projected, +6.1) 8.73
2023.02 167.2 163.2 110.9 (118.5 projected, +4.8) 14.48
(current
SC25 peak)
2023.03 157.2 155.6 122.6 (121.6 projected, +3.1) 14.42
2023.04 145.4 146.4 96.4 (127.0 projected, +5.4) 13.40
2023.05 155.6 159.2 137.9 (132.7 projected, +5.7) 10.67
2023.06 161.7 166.8 163.4 (135.9 projected, +3.2) 8.9
2023.07  176.1 (1)   64.6 (2A) / 154.1 (2B) / 172.5 (2C) (135.4 projected, -0.5) (6.2)
2023.08       (136.4 projected, +1.0)  
2023.09       (139.8 projected, +3.4)  
2023.10       (141.6 projected, +1.8)  
2023.11       (144.2 projected max SC25, +2.6)  
2023.12       (143.4 projected, -0.1)  
2024.01       (140.1 projected, -3.3)  

1) Running average based on the daily 20:00 UTC observed solar flux value at 2800 MHz and any corrections applied to that measurement.
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.
4) Source: WDC-SILSO, Royal Observatory Of Belgium, Brussels

Solar cycles 24-25

Smoothed SF and sunspot numbers

 

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.