The STCE's SC25 Tracking page has been updated to reflect the latest evolution in some critical space weather parameters for the ongoing solar cycle 25 (SC25), from sunspot number all the way to cosmic rays. The multiple graphs allow for a comparison with previous solar cycles at similar stages in their evolution.
Over the last 4 months, a second X-class solar flare was recorded, as well as the first Ground Level Enhancement (GLE) of SC25, and the first geomagnetic storm of which the Dst-index reached -100 nT. Also the number of coronal mass ejections is on the rise, as can be seen in this clip covering 14-16 January (SOHO/LASCO C3 imagery).
Sunspot activity has also significantly increased. The smoothed monthly sunspot number is currently about 20-25% higher than the values predicted by the international SC25 panel (updated), with the southern solar hemisphere slightly dominating. This may indicate a higher maximum than initially thought (so higher than 115 +/-10), IF this trend continues. Solar flaring activity has been quite similar to the previous solar cycle SC24, and well below that recorded during the 3 preceding solar cycles. This can be seen in the graph underneath (lower right), showing the number of flares with peak strength M5 to M9 and X-class flares. On the lower left is an image in extreme ultraviolet of the 2nd X-class flare of SC25, as recorded by SDO/AIA 131 on 28 October last year.
