The geomagnetic field was unsettled to active on February 8 due to effects from CH1129. Solar wind speed at SOHO ranged between 467 and 644 km/sec. The high latitude magnetometer at Andenes recorded unsettled to minor storm levels.
Solar flux density measured at 20h UT on 2.8 GHz was 197.6 - decreasing 14.0 over the previous solar rotation. (Centered 1 year average SF at 1 AU - 183 days ago: 131.39). The Potsdam WDC planetary A index was 18 (STAR Ap - based on the mean of three hour interval ap indices: 17.6). Three hour interval K indices: 33343333 (planetary), 33344422 (Boulder), 44333354 (Andenes).
The background x-ray flux was at the class C3 level (GOES 16).
At the time of counting spots (see image time), spots were observed in 19 active regions using 2K resolution (SN: 373) and in 14 active regions using 1K resolution (SN: 227) SDO/HMI images.
Region 13207 [S13W42] decayed slowly and
quietly.
Region 13209 [N21W10] decayed slowly and quietly.
Region 13210 [S15W70] decayed slowly and
quietly.
Region 13211 [S17W80] decayed slowly and was mostly quiet.
Region 13213 [N30W10] developed further and
has several magnetic deltas in the trailing spot section. A major flare is
possible.
Region 13214 [N11E07] developed slowly and was mostly quiet.
Region 13215 [N22E29] was quiet and stable.
Region 13216 [N25E44] was quiet and stable.
New region 13218 [N11E62] emerged on February 7 and was numbered by
SWPC the next day as slow development continued.
Spotted regions not observed (or interpreted
differently) by SWPC:
S8238 [S17W15] was quiet and stable.
S8250 [S22E16] was quiet and stable.
S8253 [N14W63] developed early in the day, then decayed.
S8254 [N24W00] was quiet and stable.
S8256 [S10E76] is a compact region with major
flare potential. Note that SWPC groups this and AR S8257 into AR 13217.
New region S8257 [S07E68] was split off from AR S8256.
New region S8258 [N07W38] emerged with tiny spots.
New region S8259 [N18E73] rotated into view with a tiny spot.
New region S8260 [S14E36] was observed with
tiny spots in an old plage area.
New region S8261 [S09E17] emerged with tiny spots.
C2+ flares:
| Magnitude | Peak time (UT) | Location | Source | Recorded by | Comment |
| C2.5 | 01:21 | 13214 | GOES16 | ||
| C2.9 | 01:58 | 13214 | GOES16 | ||
| C3.6 | 02:03 | 13213 | GOES16 | ||
| C4.5 | 02:18 | 13213 | GOES16 | incorrectly attributed to AR 13211 by SWPC | |
| C3.8 | 02:33 | 13213 | GOES16 | ||
| M2.0 | 02:53 | 13213 | GOES16 | ||
| C2.7 | 04:17 | 13216 | GOES16 | ||
| C5.3 | 05:21 | 13213 | GOES16 | ||
| C3.7 | 06:37 | 13212 | GOES16 | simultaneous and weaker flare in AR 13213 | |
| C2.0 | 09:03 | 13213 | GOES16 | ||
| C2.7 | 09:29 | S8256 | GOES16 | ||
| C7.4 | 10:33 | N29W03 | 13213 | GOES16 | |
| C5.4 | 11:28 | 13213 | GOES16 | LDE | |
| C3.4 | 12:36 | S8257 | GOES16 | ||
| C2.9 | 13:06 | S8256 | GOES16 | ||
| C2.3 | 14:38 | S8256 | GOES16 | ||
| C2.7 | 15:05 | S8256 | GOES16 | ||
| M1.6/2N | 16:03 | 13213 | GOES16 | simultaneous flare in AR S8256 | |
| C6.4 | 18:46 | 13213 | GOES16 | ||
| C6.5 | 19:21 | 13213 | GOES16 | simultaneous flare in AR 13211 | |
| C6.0 | 19:41 | behind SW limb | 13212 | GOES16 | |
| M1.5/1N | 20:12 | S8256 | GOES16 | LDE | |
| M1.7/1F | 21:13 | 13213 | GOES16 | ||
| M1.7 | 21:38 | 13213 | GOES16 | ||
| C6.8 | 23:17 | S8256 | GOES16 |
February 6-8: No obviously Earth directed CMEs were observed in available LASCO imagery.
[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 or near Earth facing positions.
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.
Quiet to unsettled geomagnetic conditions are likely on February 9-11.
| 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.
(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 | ||||||||||
| 13206 | 2023.01.29 2023.01.29 |
S21W78 |
location: S26W62 |
||||||||
| 13207 | 2023.01.29 2023.01.30 |
6 | 2 | S13W47 | 0010 | BXO |
 |
 |
|
||
| S8227 | 2023.01.30 | N29W56 | |||||||||
| 13208 | 2023.02.01 2023.02.01 |
N15W43 |
location: N15W37 |
||||||||
| 13209 | 2023.02.01 2023.02.03 |
5 | N20W15 | 0010 | BXO |
 |
 |
location: N21W10 | |||
| S8234 | 2023.02.01 | S29W26 | |||||||||
| 13210 | 2023.02.02 2023.02.03 |
1 | 2 | 1 | S14W70 | 0010 | AXX | AXX |
 |
 |
location: S15W70 |
| 13211 | 2023.02.03 2023.02.04 |
4 | 6 | 5 | S16W84 | 0050 | CAO | DRO |
 |
 |
location: S17W80 |
| S8238 | 2023.02.03 | 24 | 4 | S17W15 | 0040 | CRO |
 |
 |
|||
| S8240 | 2023.02.04 | S10W56 | |||||||||
| S8241 | 2023.02.04 | S17W58 | |||||||||
| 13213 | 2023.02.04 2023.02.06 |
26 | 51 | 29 | N35W15 | 0290 | EKI | EKC |
 |
 |
beta-gamma-delta area: 0650 location: N30W10 SWPC position is way off |
| S8243 | 2023.02.05 | N28W28 |
 |
||||||||
| 13214 | 2023.02.05 2023.02.06 |
14 | 33 | 19 | N16E06 | 0290 | DHO | DKI |
 |
 |
beta-gamma area: 0580 location: N11E07 |
| 13215 | 2023.02.05 2023.02.06 |
3 | 7 | 5 | N25E29 | 0030 | CRO | CRO |
 |
 |
location: N22E29 |
| 13216 | 2023.02.05 2023.02.06 |
5 | 9 | 5 | N27E45 | 0250 | DKO | CAO |
 |
 |
area: 0240 location: N25E44 |
| S8247 | 2023.02.05 | S27W04 | |||||||||
| S8248 | 2023.02.05 | S23W25 | |||||||||
| S8249 | 2023.02.05 | S34W39 | |||||||||
| S8250 | 2023.02.06 | 4 | 1 | S22E16 | 0010 | BXO |
 |
 |
|||
| S8251 | 2023.02.06 | N09W20 | |||||||||
| S8253 | 2023.02.07 | 1 | N14W63 | 0001 | AXX |
 |
 |
||||
| S8254 | 2023.02.07 | 4 | N24W00 | 0010 | BXO |
 |
 |
||||
| 13218 | 2023.02.07 2023.02.08 |
2 | 6 | 4 | N15E62 | 0060 | BXO | DRO |
 |
 |
area: 0040 location: N11E62 |
| S8256 | 2023.02.07 | 11 | 8 | S10E76 | 0550 | DKC |
 |
 |
|||
| 13217 | 2023.02.08 | 7 | S07E72 | 0300 | DKO | SWPC considers ARs S8256 and S8257 to be one group | |||||
| S8257 | 2023.02.08 | 3 | 1 | S07E68 | 0040 | CAO |
 |
split off from AR S8256 | |||
| S8258 | 2023.02.08 | 2 | 2 | N07W38 | 0008 | BXO |
 |
||||
| S8259 | 2023.02.08 | 1 | N18E73 | 0001 | AXX |
 |
|||||
| S8260 | 2023.02.08 | 6 | 1 | S14E36 | 0010 | BXO |
 |
||||
| S8261 | 2023.02.08 | 2 | S09E17 | 0002 | BXO |
 |
|||||
| Total spot count: | 62 | 183 | 87 | ||||||||
| Sunspot number: | 142 | 373 | 227 | (total spot count + 10 * number of spotted regions) | |||||||
| Weighted SN: | 110 | 235 | 139 | (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): | 156 | 205 | 182 | ||||||||
| 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 |
| 2021.07 | 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 | 64.7 (+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 | 77.2 (+4.2) | 7.48 |
| 2022.06 | 116.1 | 119.8 | 70.3 | 80.9 (+3.7) | 8.20 |
| 2022.07 | 125.4 | 129.5 | 91.4 | 86.5 (+5.6) | 9.51 |
| 2022.08 | 114.2 | 117.1 | 74.6 | (92.4 projected, +5.9) | 10.92 |
| 2022.09 | 135.1 | 136.5 | 96.0 | (97.4 projected, +5.0) | 12.18 |
| 2022.10 | 133.5 | 132.7 | 95.4 | (100.5 projected, +3.1) | 11.16 |
| 2022.11 | 123.4 | 120.7 | 77.6 | (103.4 projected, +2.9) | 9.33 |
| 2022.12 | 147.9 | 143.4 | 113.1 | (108.2 projected, +4.8) | 10.99 |
| 2023.01 | 182.4 | 176.6 | 143.6 | (114.2 projected, +6.0) | 8.7 |
| 2023.02 | 153.1 (1) | 27.0 (2A)/ 94.4 (2B) / 167.7 (2C) | (119.2 projected, +5.0) | (10.2) | |
| 2023.03 | (122.3 projected, +3.1) | ||||
| 2023.04 | (127.7 projected, +5.4) | ||||
| 2023.05 | (133.5 projected, +5.8) | ||||
| 2023.06 | (136.8 projected, +3.3) | ||||
| 2023.07 | (136.3 projected, -0.5) | ||||
| 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.
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.
