Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on August 8, 2022 at 07:05 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 7, 2022)
Solar cycle Solar cycles 23-25 (August 1, 2022) Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (April 5, 2007)
  Cycle 24-25 progress (August 1, 2022) 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 (August 1, 2022) 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013
  Comparison of cycles 12-14, 16, 24-25 (August 1, 2022) 4th SSN Workshop, Locarno, 2014
  Solar polar fields vs. solar cycles (April 10, 2022) 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 major storm on August 7. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 382 and 668 km/sec. The high latitude magnetometer at Andenes recorded quiet to minor storm levels. A disturbance, source unidentified, started early in the day. Another and stronger disturbance, a high speed stream associated with CH1092, was observed beginning at DSCOVR at 10:47 UT.

Solar flux density measured at 20h UT on 2.8 GHz was 116.1 - decreasing 44.9 over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 107.41). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 24 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 24.5). Three hour interval K indices: 12344446 (planetary), 13344435 (Boulder), 02334455 (Andenes).

The background x-ray flux is at the class B4 level (GOES 16).

At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 13 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 178) and in 11 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 133) SDO/HMI images.

Region 13068 [S16W82] decayed slowly and was mostly quiet. C1 flare: C1.6 @ 23:06 UT.
Region 13071 [S19E06] was quiet and stable.
Region 13072 [S23W69] decayed slowly and was mostly quiet. C1 flare: C1.1 @ 22:35 UT
Region 13073 [S34W67] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 13074 [S16E42] was quiet and stable.
New region 13075 [N20E55] rotated into view on August 5 and was numbered 2 days later by SWPC.
New region 13076 [N15E70] rotated into view on August 6 with SWPC numbering the region the following day.

Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S7750 [N16W13] was quiet and stable.
S7752 [N24E08] was quiet and stable.
S7754 [S19W18] was quiet and stable.
New region S7755 [N29E58] emerged with tiny spots.
New region S7756 [S18E20] emerged with several spots.
New region S7757 [S32W28] was observed with tiny spots in an old plage region.

A large filament eruption spanning from N10 to S40 and from E05 to E25 began at 17:49 in SDO/EIT imagery with the eruption peaking near 22h UT. LASCO images covering the hours after 22 UT are not yet available. A coronal hole (CH1093) formed after the eruption.

C2+ flares:

Magnitude Peak time (UT) Location Source Recorded by Comment
           

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

August 5-7: 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]

A recurrent trans equatorial hemisphere coronal hole (CH1092) was Earth facing on August 5-6. A coronal hole (CH1093) formed after a filament eruption mainly in the southeast quadrant and will be Earth facing on August 7-8.

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 fair.

Forecast

Quiet to minor storm conditions are likely on August 8-9 due to effects from CH1092. Quiet to unsettled is expected for August 10-11 due to effects from CH1093.

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 midnigh4t Area Classification SDO / HMI 4K continuum
image with magnetic polarity overlays
Comment
SWPC/
USAF
Magnetic
(SDO)
SWPC STAR Current Previous
2K 1K
13068 2022.07.27
2022.07.28
3 2 1 S15W83 0090 HAX HKX

 

13070 2022.07.31
2022.08.01
      N15W34         location: N13W31
13071 2022.08.01
2022.08.03
1 3 2 S19E06 0100 HSX CSO area: 0130
S7743 2022.08.01       N21W55            
13072 2022.08.03
2022.08.04
4 5 3 S23W67 0030 CSO CAO area: 0050

location: S23W69

13073 2022.08.03
2022.08.05
4 5 4 S34W71 0040 CAO CAO area: 0050

location: S34W67

S7746 2022.08.03       S22W19            
13074 2022.08.04
2022.08.05
1 3 1 S16E42 0120 HSX HSX

area: 0180

13075 2022.08.05
2022.08.07
3 7 4 N21E54 0020 CRO DRO  
S7749 2022.08.05       S32W23            
S7750 2022.08.05   3   N16W13 0005   AXX  
S7751 2022.08.05       S16W56            
S7752 2022.08.06   7 2 N24E08 0012   AXX  
13076 2022.08.06
2022.08.07
1 1 1 N16E69 0110 HSX HSX  
S7754 2022.08.06   2   S19W18 0005   AXX  
S7755 2022.08.07   3 1 N28E58 0008   BXO    
S7756 2022.08.07   5 3 S18E20 0015   CRO    
S7757 2022.08.07   2 1 S32W28 0004   AXX    
Total spot count: 17 48 23  
Sunspot number: 87 178 133  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 50 89 64  (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): 96 98 106  

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 (solar max) 7.88
2017.09 91.3 92.3 43.6 18.2 (-1.3) 18.22
(cycle 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
2021.01 76.0 73.6 10.4 17.3 (+2.0) 4.39
2021.02 74.3 72.4 8.2 19.0 (+1.7) 9.50
2021.03 76.0 75.2 17.2 21.7 (+2.7) 10.17
2021.04 75.9 76.4 24.5 24.8 (+3.1) 8.40
2021.05 75.3 77.1 21.2 25.8 (+1.0) 6.50
2021.06 79.4 81.8 25.0 27.6 (+1.8) 5.52
2021.07 81.0 83.6 34.3 31.4 (+3.8) 5.51
2021.08 77.7 79.7 22.0 35.4 (+4.0) 6.19
2021.09 87.0 88.2 51.3 40.2 (+4.8) 6.33
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 (65.8 projected, +5.7) 10.46
2022.03 117.0 115.8 78.6 (70.8 projected, +5.0) 10.20
2022.04 130.8 131.7 84.1 (75.9 projected, +5.1) 11.79
2022.05 133.8 136.8 96.5 (82.4 projected, +6.5) 7.48
2022.06 116.1 119.8 70.5 (88.3 projected, +5.9) 8.20
2022.07 125.4 129.5 91.4 (95.5 projected, +7.2) 9.51
2022.08 106.6 (1)   12.0 (2A) / 53.0 (2B) / 100.7 (2C) (102.0 projected, +6.5) (8.5)
2022.09       (106.9 projected, +4.9)  
2022.10       (110.1 projected, +3.2)  
2022.11       (112.9 projected, +2.8)  
2022.12       (117.7 projected, +4.8)  
2023.01       (123.7 projected, +6.0)  
2023.11       (142.5 projected max SC25)  

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: SIDC-SILSO.

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.