Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, Washington, reports:
| This Solar Dynamics Observatory Image was taken on April 21, 2022. [Photo courtesy of NASA SDO/HMI] |
Solar flares emerged daily over the last reporting week. On April 20, 2022, Spaceweather.com reported “Solar Activity is Intensifying,” and over the past 24 hours, there were 19 solar flares, including six M-class events, and a powerful X2.2-class solar flare.
Daily sunspot numbers averaged 64.4, 30 points higher than last week, and average daily solar flux also rose 30 points from 103.1 to 133.1.
Even with all flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), geomagnetic indicators were lower, with average planetary A index going from 16.9 to 14.6, and middle latitude numbers dropping from 12.6 to 10.9.
Predicted solar flux looks moderate, at 130 on April 21 – 27; 132 on April 28; 125 on April 29 – 30; 130 on May 1 – 4; 125 on May 5; 130 on May 6 – 7; 128 on May 8; 130 on May 9 – 10; 135 on May 11 – 12; 140 on May 13 – 14; 135 on May 15; 130 on May 16 -18; 135 on May 19; 130 on May 20 – 21; 135 on May 22, and 132 on May 23 – 25.
Predicted planetary A index is 5 on April 21 – 22; 12 on April 23; 8 on April 24 – 26; 5 on April 27 – 28; 18, 12, and 8 on April 29 – May 1; 5 on May 2 – 5; 8, 15, 12, and 8 on May 6 – 9; 5 on May 10 – 12; 8, 10, and 12 on May 13 – 15; 10 on May 15 – 17; 8 on May 18 – 19; 12 and 8 on May 20 – 21, and 5 on May 22 – 25. Sunspot numbers for April 14 – 20 were 37, 35, 78, 74, 79, 68, and 80, with a mean of 64.4. The 10.7-centimeter flux was 103.4, 110.3, 122.4, 134.9, 140.5, 160.1, and 160, with a mean of 133.1. Estimated planetary A indices were 38, 21, 8, 11, 8, 7, and 9, with a mean of 14.6. Middle latitude A index was 22, 14, 7, 9, 7, 8, and 9, with a mean of 10.9