Product: Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
:Issued: 2010 Feb 02 2221 UTC
# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center
# Product description and SWPC web contact: www.swpc.noaa.gov/weekly.html
#

# Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
#
Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity
25 - 31 January 2010

Solar activity was at very low levels with only B-class activity observed during the period. Region 1041 (S25, L=052, class/area 200/Eso on 22 January) decayed to spotless plage on 31 January. Region 1042 (N22, L=131, class/area 190/Cao on 23 January) quietly rotated off the disk on 27 January. New Region 1043 (N25, L=320, class/area Dso/060 on 31 January) emerged on the disk on 30 January as a beta sunspot group.

No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit was at normal background levels during the period.

Geomagnetic field activity was predominately quiet during the period. The exception consisted of an isolated unsettled period observed at high latitudes from 31/1200 - 1500 UTC. Observations from the ACE spacecraft indicated a solar sector boundary crossing occurred at
about 30/1100 UTC. The phi angle changed from a positive (away) angle to a negative (towards) angle, while solar wind velocity increased from 330 km/s at 30/1103 UTC to a maximum of 472 km/s at 31/0759 UTC. During the summary period, density peaked at 18 p/cc at 30/0524 UTC, while the Bz component of the interplanetary magnetic field ranged between +7nT at 30/0527 UTC and -7nT at 30/0156 UTC. Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 03 February - 01 March 2010

Solar activity is expected to be at very low to low levels for the forecast period.

No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at normal levels through the period.

The geomagnetic field is expected to be at predominantly quiet levels for the forecast period. A period of quiet to unsettled activity is expected on 08 - 09 February due to a recurrent coronal hole high speed stream. A period of unsettled to active levels are expected on 16 February as a recurrent coronal hole high speed stream is expected to become geoeffective.

Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt:Issued: 2010 Feb 02 2221 UTC
# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center
# Product description and SWPC web contact: www.swpc.noaa.gov/wwire.html
#

# 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table
# Issued 2010 Feb 02
#
# UTC Radio Flux Planetary Largest
# Date 10.7 cm A Index Kp Index
2010 Feb 03 75 5 2
2010 Feb 04 78 5 2
2010 Feb 05 80 5 2
2010 Feb 06 82 5 2
2010 Feb 07 85 5 2
2010 Feb 08 88 7 3
2010 Feb 09 90 7 3
2010 Feb 10 90 5 2
2010 Feb 11 88 5 2
2010 Feb 12 85 5 2
2010 Feb 13 82 5 2
2010 Feb 14 82 5 2
2010 Feb 15 84 5 2
2010 Feb 16 84 10 4
2010 Feb 17 84 7 3
2010 Feb 18 84 5 2
2010 Feb 19 84 5 2
2010 Feb 20 84 5 2
2010 Feb 21 82 5 2
2010 Feb 22 80 5 2
2010 Feb 23 78 5 2
2010 Feb 24 76 5 2
2010 Feb 25 75 5 2
2010 Feb 26 75 5 2
2010 Feb 27 75 5 2
2010 Feb 28 75 5 2
2010 Mar 01 75 5 2
(NOAA)

On Saturday the 30th a new solar cycle 24 sunspot group emerged in NE quadrant of the Sun near N27E35 and was numbered 11043 by NOAA/SWPC. It contains a beta magnetic signature capable of producing B class and isolated C class solar flares.

On Saturday the 30th the solar flux index values were 77.0 75.0 74.2 and the sunspot number 25. We have had visible sunspots for 10 days in a row, 23 of the last 24 days and 34 of the last 36 days. I think that we can safely say that solar cycle 24 is well underway and steadily picking up it's pace.

Sunspot group #11041 is now a spotless plage near S27W58 and will soon cross the SW limb of the Sun.
(Thomas F. Giella, NZ4O, Lakeland, FL)