‰ Now 18 WPM transition file follows ‰

A sunspot emerged a few days ago, a welcome sight at cycle minimum.
Sunspot numbers for February 25 to 28 were 12, 13, 12 and 12, but
that spot, number 983, is now gone, over the eastern horizon of our
Sun.  If the February 29 sunspot number is 0, this means our three
month moving average of sunspot numbers centered on January will be
8R5, slightly higher than the last reading.  Our moving average
centered on June 2007 through January 2008 is 18R7, 15R4, 10R2, 5R4,
3, 6R9, 8R1 and 8R5, with the minimum centered on October 2007.  A
13 month predicted smoothed sunspot table from NOAA shows a
combination of known and projected values.  On February 6, when this
was released, the August 2007 value represents mostly known values,
because Januarys actual sunspot numbers are known.  All that is
missing is February, which has a predicted value, averaged in with
the previous months.  Novembers value is made up with three fewer
months of actual values.  Next week a new table should be released.
Remember that a sunspot number does not represent the actual number
of sunspots.  The minimum non zero sunspot number is 11, because a
value of 10 is counted for each cluster of sunspots, and a value of
1 is added for each individual spot.  So the February 26 sunspot
number of 13 represents one group containing three sunspots.  This
week geomagnetic conditions have been quiet, until yesterday when
the effects of a solar wind stream were felt, taking the planetary A
index to 22 and K index as high as 4.  This moderate disturbance
should decline, with a predicted planetary A index at 15, 10 and 5
for January 29 through March 2.  Our next unsettled period should be
March 8, 9 and 12.  Geophysical Institute Prague predicts unsettled
to active conditions February 29, unsettled March 1 to 3, quiet to
unsettled March 4, and quiet March 5 and 6.  For the ARRL
International SSB DX Contest this weekend conditions should be good,
no geomagnetic storms, but probably no sunspots.  We are just a few
weeks away from the Spring Equinox, always a great time for HF
propagation.  It would be nice to have some sunspots as well.  Last
weeks bulletin contained an erroneous explanation about discerning
the difference between Cycle 23 sunspots and the new Cycle 24 spots.
Tom Lizak, K1TL of Tiverton, Rhode Island caught this.  The
information given was only true for the Suns northern hemisphere.
Southern hemisphere spots have exactly the opposite orientation of
spots north of the Suns equator.  Also, new Cycle 24 spots should
appear away from the equator in the early part of the cycle.
Sunspot numbers were 0, 0, 0, 0, 12, 13 and 12 with a mean of 5R3.
10R7 cm flux was 71R8, 72R4, 71R6, 70R7, 71R4, 70R7, and 70R7 with a
mean of 71R3.  Estimated planetary A indices were 6, 4, 4, 3, 3, 3
and 12 with a mean of 5.  Estimated mid latitude A indices were 3,
3, 3, 2, 1, 2 and 6, with a mean of 2R9‚


‰ End of 18 WPM transition file ‰