Solar Terrestrial Activity Report

Activity chart

Last major update issued on April 11, 2023 at 06:10 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 (April 1, 2023)
Solar cycle Solar cycles 23-25 (April 1, 2023) Historical solar and geomagnetic data charts 1954-2006 (April 5, 2007)
  Cycle 24-25 progress (April 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 (April 1, 2023) 3rd SSN Workshop, Tucson, 2013
  Comparison of cycles 12-14, 16, 24-25 (April 1, 2023) 4th SSN Workshop, Locarno, 2014
  Solar polar fields vs. solar cycles (April 5, 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 April 10 due to effects from CH1140. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 370 and 567 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 139.8 - increasing 1.3 over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 138.88). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 13 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 13.0). Three hour interval K indices: 33333312 (planetary), 33333312 (Boulder), 54423322 (Andenes).

The background x-ray flux is at the class B8 level (GOES 16).

At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 18 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 362) and in 12 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 210) SDO/HMI images.

Region 13272 [S21E23] decayed in the southern spot section while some development was observed in the north. The region has many spots, most of them small or tiny. The region has polarity intermixing and M class flare potential. C1 flares: C1.0 @ 02:11, C1.2 @ 04:05, C1.3 @ 11:30, C1.0 @ 12:07, C1.3 @ 14:36, C1.8 @ 16:54, C1.3 @ 18:24, C1.4 @ 19:40, C1.2 @ 22:26, C1.8 @ 22:34 UT
Region 13273 [N09E13] developed slowly and quietly. C1 flares: C1.0 @ 08:26 UT
New region 13274 [S07W01] emerged on April 8. The region decayed slowly on April 10 when it was numbered by SWPC.
New region 13275 [N19E63] rotated into view on April 9 with SWPC numbering the region the next day.
New region 13276 [S21E75] rotated into view early in the day. AR S8452 (trailing AR 13276) appears to have been the source of nearly all the flares at the SE limb.

Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted differently) by SWPC:
S8429 [S23W21] was quiet and stable.
S8437 [S13W26] was quiet and stable.
S8442 [N12W07] developed as new flux emerged.
S8445 [N22E30] was quiet and stable.
New region S8450 [N10E36] emerged with tiny spots.
New region S8451 [N29W15] emerged with a tiny spot.
New region S8452 [S20E83] rotated partly into view. C1 flares: C1.4 @ 02:34, C1.4 @ 03:37, C1.7 @ 05:05, C1.3 @ 06:58, C1.0 @ 07:42, C1.3 @ 13:18, C1.6 @ 13:37, C1.9 @ 18:56, C1.8 @ 22:34 UT
New region S8453 [S18W44] emerged with tiny spots.
New region S8454 [S01W09] emerged with a tiny spot.
New region S8455 [N22E30] emerged with tiny spots.
New region S8456 [S09E37] emerged with tiny spots.
New region S8457 [S33E02] was observed with tiny spots in an old plage area.
New region S8458 [S04W43] emerged with tiny spots.

C2+ flares:

Magnitude Peak time (UT) Location Source Recorded by Comment
C2.8 01:36 S23E40 13272 GOES16  
C2.0 03:00   13272 GOES16  
C3.5 04:29   S8452 GOES16  
C6.1 04:39   S8452 GOES18  
M2.8 05:20   S8452 GOES18  
C2.9 09:45   S8452 GOES16  
C6.0 13:51 S22E31 13272 GOES16  
C2.1 14:48   13276 GOES16  
C3.3 15:47 S23E33 13272 GOES16  
C3.3 17:39   S8452 GOES16  
C2.3 23:19   S8452 GOES16  

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

April 10: A filament eruption in the northeast quadrant began just after 06h UT and lasted until after 09h UT. Coronal dimming was observed over a fairly large area to the south of the eruption. Due to the absence of LASCO imagery for the hours after the event, it is uncertain if a CME was produced.
April 9
: A filament eruption in the southwest quadrant was observed beginning in SDO/AIA imagery at 19:06 UT and peaked 40 minutes later. A partial halo CME was observed in LASCO C2 imagery from 20:00 UT. There is a chance components of this CME will reach Earth on April 12 or 13.
April 8
: 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 (CH1140) was Earth facing on April 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 poor.

Forecast

Quiet to unsettled conditions are possible on April 11-12 due to effects from CH1140. There's a chance components of the April 9 CME could reach Earth on April 12-13 and cause unsettled to minor storm conditions.

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
13269 2023.03.30
2023.04.02
      S25W68         location: S24W60
S8428 2023.04.04       N19W55            
S8429 2023.04.04   17 6 S23W21 0030   BXO  
S8432 2023.04.05       S14W44            
13272 2023.04.05
2023.04.06
31 84 48 S22E24 0270 EKC EAI beta-gamma

area: 0350

S8434 2023.04.05       S07E04            
S8435 2023.04.06       S27W30            
S8437 2023.04.06   4 1 S13W26 0010   AXX  
S8438 2023.04.06       N14W23            
S8439 2023.04.07       S24E03            
13274 2023.04.08
2023.04.10
1 3   S07W02 0010 AXX BXO area: 0003
S8442 2023.04.08   16 10 N12W07 0050   CRI  
13273 2023.04.09
2023.04.09
6 26 15 N10E13 0120 DSO DAI

location: N09E13

area: 0220

13275 2023.04.09
2023.04.10
1 3 2 N21E61 0040 HSX HSX area: 0100
S8445 2023.04.09   5   N22E30 0008   BXO  
S8446 2023.04.09       N27E10          
S8447 2023.04.09       S09E20          
S8448 2023.04.09       N13W26          
13276 2023.04.10
2023.04.10
3 4 2 S22E75 0020 DAO CAO area: 0080

location: S21E75

S8450 2023.04.10   4 1 N10E36 0012   BXO    
S8451 2023.04.10   1 1 N29W15 0003   AXX   was AR S8430
S8452 2023.04.10   2 1 S20E83 0100   CAO    
S8453 2023.04.10   4 2 S18W44 0009   BXO    
S8454 2023.04.10   1   S01W09 0003   AXX    
S8455 2023.04.10   2   N23E48 0004   BXO    
S8456 2023.04.10   2   S09E37 0004   AXX    
S8457 2023.04.10   2 1 S33E02 0005   AXX    
S8458 2023.04.10   2   S04W43 0002   BXO    
Total spot count: 42 182 90  
Sunspot number: 92 362 210  (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions)
Weighted SN: 67 210 118  (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): 101 199 168  

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
2021.09 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 64.7 (+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 (99.0 projected, +2.6) 11.16
2022.11 123.4 120.7 80.5 (102.0 projected, +3.0) 9.33
2022.12 147.9 143.4 112.8 (106.8 projected, +4.8) 10.99
2023.01 182.4 176.6 143.6 (112.9 projected, +6.1) 8.73
2023.02 167.2 163.2 110.9 (117.9 projected, +5.0) 14.48
(current
SC25 peak)
2023.03 157.2 155.6 122.6 (121.0 projected, +3.1) 14.42
2023.04 134.8 (1)   15.9 (2A) / 47.8 (2B) / 120.7 (2C) (126.4 projected, +5.4) (10.1)
2023.05       (132.1 projected, +5.7)  
2023.06       (135.2 projected, +3.1)  
2023.07       (134.7 projected, -0.5)  
2023.08       (135.7 projected, +1.0)  
2023.09       (139.2 projected, +3.5)  
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.