Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on October 14, 2022 at 04:50 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 (October 6, 2022)
Solar cycle Solar cycles 23-25 (October 1, 2022) Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (April 5, 2007)
  Cycle 24-25 progress (October 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 (October 1, 2022) 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013
  Comparison of cycles 12-14, 16, 24-25 (October 1, 2022) 4th SSN Workshop, Locarno, 2014
  Solar polar fields vs. solar cycles (August 21, 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 on October 13. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 304 and 373 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 130.0 - decreasing 1.1 over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 116.31). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 4 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 3.8). Three hour interval K indices: 11101012 (planetary), 11212221 (Boulder), 40001135 (Andenes).

The background x-ray flux is at the class B7 level (GOES 16).

At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 12 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 173) and in 8 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 107) SDO/HMI images.

Region 13116 [N28W80] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 13119 [N28W40] decayed slowly and produced a few C flares. C1 flares: C1.7 @ 17:28 UT
New region 13121 [N23E55] emerged on October 11 and was numbered by SWPC 2 days later as slow development continued.

Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S7901 [N22W82] decayed further producing several C flares. C1 flares: C1.8 @ 01:29, C1.0 @ 07:55 UT
S7912 [N15W52] was quiet and stable.
S7918 [S30E39] decayed slowly and quietly.
S7921 [S22E45] was quiet and stable.
New region S7926 [S12W22] emerged with several spots.
New region S7927 [N34W08] was observed with tiny spots in an old plage area.
New region S7928 [N27W27] emerged with a few spots.
New region S7929 [N25W02] emerged with tiny spots.
New region S7930 [S24E52] was observed with a tiny spot in an old plage area.

C2+ flares:

Magnitude Peak time (UT) Location Source Recorded by Comment
C3.3 02:06   S7901 GOES16  
C3.8 02:25   S7901 GOES16  
C3.5 04:45   13119 GOES16  
C4.7 09:17 N30W34 13119 GOES16  
C2.2 22:07   S7901 GOES16  

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

October 11-13: 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 potentially geoeffective positions.

Propagation

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

Forecast

Quiet to unsettled geomagnetic conditions are expected on October 14-15.

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
13112 2022.09.30
2022.09.30
3     N23W80 0230 ESI      

location: N19W92

Keeping the original SWPC number for data integrity

SWPC has split this off as AR 13120

see AR S7901

S7901 2022.09.30   5 3 N22W82 0320   EAO

SWPC has this as AR 13112

13116 2022.10.01
2022.10.03
1 1 1 N29W81 0110 HAX HAX

location: N28W80

area: 0150

13118 2022.10.05
2022.10.06
      N09W33        

location: N08W31

S7912 2022.10.05   3   N15 0008   BXO  
13119 2022.10.06
2022.10.07
9 18 9 N28W43 0120 DAI DAO

location: N28W40

S7915 2022.10.07       N31W26            
S7917 2022.10.09       S15W28          
S7918 2022.10.10   2   S30E39 0005   AXX  
13121 2022.10.11
2022.10.13
4 6 4 N23E54 0020 BXO DRO  
S7921 2022.10.11   1 1 S22E45 0003   AXX  
S7922 2022.10.11       S14E42            
S7923 2022.10.12       N15E19          
S7924 2022.10.12       S20E06          
S7925 2022.10.12       S27W16          
S7926 2022.10.13   7 5 S12W22 0020   CRO    
S7927 2022.10.13   3   N34W08 0004   BXO    
S7928 2022.10.13   4 3 N27W27 0012   CRO    
S7929 2022.10.13   2   N15W02 0003   BXO    
S7930 2022.10.13   1 1 S24E52 0003   AXX    
Total spot count: 17 52 27  
Sunspot number: 57 172 107  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 32 76 51  (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): 63 95 86  

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
2021.03 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 64.8 (+4.7) 10.46
2022.03 117.0 115.8 78.6 68.9 (+4.1) 10.20
2022.04 130.8 131.7 84.0 (74.2 projected, +5.3) 11.79
2022.05 133.8 136.8 96.5 (80.6 projected, +6.4) 7.48
2022.06 116.1 119.8 70.3 (86.5 projected, +5.9) 8.20
2022.07 125.4 129.5 91.4 (93.7 projected, +7.2) 9.51
2022.08 114.2 117.1 75.4 (100.2 projected, +6.5) 10.92
2022.09 135.1 136.5 96.3 (105.2 projected, +5.0) 12.18
2022.10 152.9 (1)   48.7 (2A) / 116.2 (2B) / 115.3 (2C) (108.3 projected, +3.1) (12.3)
2022.11       (111.2 projected, +2.9)  
2022.12       (115.9 projected, +4.7)  
2023.01       (122.0 projected, +6.1)  
2023.02       (127.0 projected, +5.0)  
2023.03       (130.0 projected, +3.0)  
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.