Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on June 21, 2023 at 07:45 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 (June 1, 2023)
Solar cycle Solar cycles 23-25 (June 1, 2023) Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (April 5, 2007)
  Cycle 24-25 progress (June 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 (June 1, 2023) 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013
  Comparison of cycles 12-14, 16, 24-25 (June 1, 2023) 4th SSN Workshop, Locarno, 2014
  Solar polar fields vs. solar cycles (May 29, 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 June 20, weakly under the influence of effects related to CH1153/CH1154. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 387 and 462 km/sec. The high latitude magnetometer at Andenes recorded quiet to minor storm levels.

Solar flux density measured at 20h UT on 2.8 GHz was 180.1 - increasing 16.0 over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 144.04. In comparison SC24 peaked on June 28, 2014 at 145.50). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 8 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 8.1). Three hour interval K indices: 32122223 (planetary), 33213322 (Boulder), 45234325 (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 16 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 412) and in 15 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 254) SDO/HMI images.

Region 13333 [S11W46] decayed slowly and was mostly quiet.
Region 13334 [N17W15] was quiet and stable.
Region 13335 [S14W19] decayed slightly and was mostly quiet.
Region 13336 [S21W16] has many tiny spots and was mostly quiet.
Region 13338 [N11E03] decayed slowly and quietly
Region 13339 [S19E30] developed slightly as the large penumbra became irregular and new spots emerged in the south.
Region 13340 [N22E32] decayed slowly and was mostly quiet.
Region 13341 [S15E61] produced a number of flares including an X1 event peaking at 17:09. A faint halo signature was observed with the CME observed after the event. The main ejecta is headed well away from Earth, however, minor components of the CME could reach Earth on June 23 or 24.
Region 13342 [S22W73] developed further and could produce further M class flares while rotating over the southwest limb today and tomorrow. C1 flares: C1.8 @ 10:17 UT
New region 13344 [N23W46] emerged on June 19 and was numbered by SWPC the next day as the region continued to develop slowly.
New region 13345 [N09E59] emerged on June 19 with SWPC numbering the region the following day. C flares are possible.

Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted differently) by SWPC/USAF:
S8676 [S12E56] was quiet and stable.
S8682 [N17E33] was mostly quiet and stable.
New region S8685 [N08E37] emerged with a few spots.
New region S8686 [S12E80] rotated into view with a small spot.
New region S8687 [S27E45] emerged with tiny spots.

C2+ flares:

Magnitude Peak time (UT) Location Source Recorded by Comment
C4.4 00:32 S22W61 13342 GOES16  
C2.1 02:12   13342 GOES16  
C2.4 02:46   13333 GOES16  
C2.8 03:14   13342 GOES16  
C4.7 03:32   13341 GOES16 incorrectly attributed to AR 13333 by SWPC
simultaneous flare in AR 13342
C2.4 04:27   13342 GOES16  
C5.9 04:54   13340 GOES16 incorrectly attributed by SWPC to small flare in AR 13342
C2.4 05:33   13342 GOES16  
C2.5 05:44   13342 GOES16  
C2.2 06:43   13338 GOES16  
C2.5 07:07   13341 GOES16 simultaneous flare in AR 13340
C2.3 07:30   13341 GOES16  
C2.8 08:39   13342 GOES16  
C3.3 08:54   13341 GOES16  
C8.6 11:06   13341 GOES16  
M1.1 11:13   13342 GOES16  
M1.8 11:25   13342 GOES16  
C7.2 11:46   13335 GOES16  
C7.8 12:20 S21W67 13341 GOES16  
C3.4 12:44   13335 GOES16  
C5.7 13:09   13341 GOES16 attributed by SWPC to smaller, simultaneous flare in AR 13342
C3.2 13:46   13342 GOES16  
C7.8 14:07   13342 GOES16  
C4.9 14:41   13342 GOES16 incorrectly attributed by SWPC to AR 13339
C6.9 15:34   13342 GOES16 incorrectly attributed by SWPC to AR 13341
C7.1 15:42   13341 GOES16  
M1.0 15:48   13342 GOES16  
C5.0 16:20   13341 GOES16  
M1.1 16:33   13342 GOES16  
X1.1 17:09   13341 GOES16 CME. Weak type IV and moderate type II radio sweeps
C9.0 18:16   13341 GOES16  
C7.2 18:38   13342 GOES16  
C5.2 19:06   13341 GOES16  
C2.9 20:42   S8682 GOES16  
C2.6 21:10   13342 GOES16  

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

June 18-19: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed.
June 20: A CME associated with X1 flare at 17:09 UT in AR 13341 may have Earth directed components. In that case a weak shock and unsettled to minor storm intervals are possible on June 23-24.

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 trans equatorial coronal hole (CH1155) could become Earth facing on June 23.

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 to fair.

Forecast

Quiet to unsettled geomagnetic conditions are expected for June 21 due to weak effects from CH1153 and CH1154. Quiet conditions are likely on June 22. If any components of the June 20 CME are Earth direct, unsettled to minor storm conditions are possible on June 23-24.

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: 0-30% 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
S8646 2023.06.10       S30W49            
S8652 2023.06.11       N18W50            
13333 2023.06.12
2023.06.13
11 23 10 S11W46 0060 EAI DSO  
13334 2023.06.13
2023.06.13
  28 9 N16W21 0035   BXO

location: N17W15

SWPC added a duplicate region on June 19, AR 13343

13336 2023.06.13
2023.06.14
  33 5 S22W11 0060   BXI

location: S21W16

13335 2023.06.13
2023.06.14
18 34 22 S15W16 0200 EAI EHI

area: 0310

location: S14W19

S8661 2023.06.14       N22W10            
13337 2023.06.14
2023.06.15
      N16E04         location: N17E06
13338 2023.06.14
2023.06.15
8 15 7 N11E04 0050 ESO DSO

area: 0070

S8667 2023.06.15       N27W56            
S8670 2023.06.16       N07E13            
13339 2023.06.16
2023.06.17
2 14 9 S18E28 0140 HAX CKO area: 0260

location: S19E30

13340 2023.06.17 7 25 8 N21E31 0080 CAO CSO   area: 0200

location: N22E32

S8674 2023.06.17       S23W58            
13342 2023.06.17
2023.06.19
8 20 9 S22W74 0070 DAO EAI area: 0250
S8676 2023.06.18   3 1 S13E43 0005   BXO  
13341 2023.06.18
2023.06.19
4 12 6 S15E58 0110 DAO CSO location: S15E61

area: 0300

S8678 2023.06.18       S01W14            
13343 2023.06.19       N16W14           this is a duplicate of AR 13334
13344 2023.06.19
2023.06.20
4 14 6 N22W47 0010 CAO DRI area: 0100
S8680 2023.06.19       S16E26          
S8682 2023.06.19   9 2 N17E33 0030   DRO  
13345 2023.06.19
2023.06.20
3 9 4 N10E59 0030 DSO DAO location: N09E59

area: 0090

S8684 2023.06.19       S16W47          
S8685 2023.06.20   7 5 N08E37 0020   DRO    
S8686 2023.06.20   1 1 S12E80 0010   HRX    
S8687 2023.06.20   5   N27E45 0005   BXO    
Total spot count: 65 252 104  
Sunspot number: 155 412 254  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 110 314 166  (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): 171 227 203  

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
2021.10 88.9 88.3 37.4 45.2 (+5.0) 7.38
2021.11 86.2 84.4 34.8 50.8 (+5.6) 9.83
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 (105.8 projected, +4.8) 10.99
2023.01 182.4 176.6 143.6 (112.2 projected, +6.4) 8.73
2023.02 167.2 163.2 110.9 (117.0 projected, +4.8) 14.48
(current
SC25 peak)
2023.03 157.2 155.6 122.6 (120.1 projected, +3.1) 14.42
2023.04 145.4 146.4 96.4 (125.5 projected, +5.4) 13.40
2023.05 155.6 159.2 137.9 (131.2 projected, +5.7) 10.67
2023.06 161.6 (1)   87.9 (2A) / 131.9 (2B) / 168.8 (2C) (134.3 projected, +3.1) (8.1)
2023.07       (133.8 projected, -0.5)  
2023.08       (134.8 projected, +1.0)  
2023.09       (138.2 projected, +3.4)  
2023.10       (140.1 projected, +1.9)  
2023.11       (142.7 projected max SC25)  
2023.12       (142.6 projected, -0.1)  

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.