Solar data

At the start of each month my favourite site for solar data is updated. We are now a year after the solar minimum and we are looking for indications for the solar cycle 25. In particular, we are looking for forecasts of how big (or small!) it might be. As the cycle progresses, we have a better idea.

See https://www.solen.info/solar/ .

UPDATE 1550z: I see it has been updated already. See https://www.solen.info/solar/images/cycles23_24.png

Solar forecast update

There is an update showing the latest solar updates.

See https://www.solen.info/solar/

Updated solar data

Early in the month my favourite site for solar data updates for the month just gone. As it is November 3rd, this has been done.

See  https://www.solen.info/solar/

Solar data

September was very disappointing in terms of days with sunspots. Usually my favourite site for solar data updates its numbers early each month. It has just been updated.

See https://www.solen.info/solar/

Updated solar data

My page for solar data has been updated. This is usually done in the early days of the new month.

At some point the more active side of the sun will turn into view. We have now had several days without sunspots. Assuming we are at the start of the next solar cycle, I expect sunspot numbers will increase.

See https://www.solen.info/solar/

Cycle 25?

From regular visits to my favourite site for solar data, it looks far more likely that we have passed solar minimum. Most days now we see some sunspots and indicators are increasingly good.

As mentioned before, it could be some time before HF conditions get noticeably better. With luck we should see more openings to "real DX" on bands like 10m, 12m and 10m.

This is the first time we will have had FT8 available as a tool on the climb up to solar maximum. It is probably worth monitoring the FT8 frequencies on 10m, as I suspect the band is open far more often than is realised.

So when is/was the solar minimum?

My favourite site for solar predictions still thinks we have just passed the solar minimum. This is despite the very low solar flux readings seen in the last few days. I think he calculates the minimum looking at things like polarisation changes. Pages and forecasts are due to be updated later this week.

Solar data page updated

My favourite page for solar data has been updated and this now includes the data for May as well as the latest thoughts on the date of solar minimum which is showing December 2019 as a possible date.

It still shows a pickup in sunspots this year. Hope this is correct!

See https://www.solen.info/solar/images/cycles23_24.png

See also https://www.solen.info/solar/

Solar forecast page updated

My favourite page for solar forecasts has been updated.

It still shows that we have passed the solar minimum. Recent sunspot numbers suggest this is correct. If so, we can look forward to better conditions in the years ahead.

It is definitely worth keeping an eye on the FT8 frequencies.

Even around the solar minimum paths from the UK to South America open regularly.  People have worked South Korea on 10m around the solar mimimum from the UK.

See https://www.solen.info/solar/

Solar forecast update

My favourite site for solar forecasts has been updated.  It still showa we have just passed the minimum.  See www.solen.info/solar

Solar forecast page updated

My favourite website for solar forecasts was updated yesterday.

See https://www.solen.info/solar/

Solar forecast update

We are rapidly coming to the end of winter. Very early in each month my favourite solar forecast is updated. This is usually done on the first or second day of the month.

Up to now they have put the solar minimum as happening last summer. I hope they are still right. One of the indicators is polarity changes. This can also help us in the forecast of the size of the next peak.

At the moment the "experts" are expecting the next peak to be of a similar size to the last one in cycle 24. Some were predicting a Maunder Minimum with years of no sunspots, but this now seems unlikely.

Upturn in solar conditions - when?

So far, February has been a big disappointment. Sunspots have been virtually absent and if anything things are certainly no better than last month. If we are to confirm that we have passed the solar minimum, I would expect a few more sunspots and a slow climb in solar flux. Based on the last few weeks, I see neither. It is wrong to expect big changes until next year, but I was expecting hopeful signs.

Solar weather forecast videos

Southgate News links to the video solar forecasts by Dr Tamitha Skov.

See http://www.southgatearc.org/space-weather/index.htm#.XlOwvI6TK00

Solar forecast update

My favourite solar forecasting page has been updated today (Feb 1st 2020). It still shows the forecast that we have already passed the solar minimum and are starting the climb to the next solar peak. This is slow at first, but, if correct, it means better times are ahead. Fingers crossed.

See https://www.solen.info/solar/

New forecast for solar cycle 25

A panel of NOAA and NASA experts has issued a new forecast for cycle 25.

See https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/news/solar-cycle-25-forecast-update

Solar doldrums

It is now some while since we saw sunspots, with none even with the more active region of the Sun swinging in to view. The solar flux has been in the low 70s, as far as I remember, for some weeks and it has not dipped in to the 60s for some time. This, at least, is slightly encouraging.

It very much looks to me as if we are right at the bottom of the solar minimum. Only time will tell. If we are at the bottom, we can expect improving conditions for the next few years. Let's hope so!

Solar data

My favourite site on solar data has been updated. It still shows we have passed the solar minimum. Although the sunspot count is very low, there have been fewer days with extremely low solar flux.

See https://www.solen.info/solar/images/cycles23_24.png

False dawn?

At the moment the solar numbers just aren't clear. We may be starting the climb out of the solar minimum, or this could just be another blip and we are bouncing along the bottom of the solar cycle still. It will be some time (a year?) before we can be sure. I hope conditions start to improve soon.

See http://www.solen.info/solar/

Revised solar data

My favourite site for solar data was updated today.  The candidate for sunspot minimum was June 2019. If correct, we can expect conditions to improve, on average, for several years. Of course, it is still too early to be sure.

See http://www.solen.info/solar/