‰ Now 18 WPM transition file follows ‰

The STEREO mission, or Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory, web
site shows a new display, in which the Sun is visible via an
animated image that rotates to show the whole Sun.  The small
portion on the Suns far side, which is not yet visible to the
spacecraft, is shown as a dark area.  Currently, early Friday,
September 18, the animation shows an emerging bright spot, just
beyond the direct view from Earth.  Check the animation on the web
at, stereo.gsfc.nasa.gov/.  The zero degree meridian represents the
area closest to Earth, appearing in the center of the solar disk as
viewed from Earth.  The two 90 degree meridians represent the
eastern and western horizon, and of course the 180 degree meridian
is directly opposite Earths view.  A full rotation of the Sun
relative to Earth takes slightly less than four weeks.  The bright
spot appears around 120 degrees, or 30 degrees short of the eastern
limb, and may represent a new sunspot group.  This would be a
wonderful event coinciding with the Autumnal Equinox, the first day
of Fall, which starts next Tuesday afternoon, on September 22, in
North America.  Helioseismic readings also show an active region in
that area, at 30 degrees south latitude.  Go to the web site stereo
ssc.nascom.nasa.gov/where.shtml to see the current position of the
two craft relative to Earth.  Eventually they will be 180 degrees
relative to each other and 90 degrees relative to Earth.  Thursdays
prediction shows solar flux values at 70 beginning tomorrow,
September 19, and continuing through September 24, then rising to 72
September 25 to 28.  We havent reported a weekly solar flux average
above 70 in this bulletin since Propagation Forecast Bulletin
ARLP020 on May 19, and prior to that there were only four more weeks
above 70 in 2009.  These predictions are from NOAA and the US Air
Force, which also predicts a planetary A index of 8 for September
18, and only 5 from September 19 to more than a month after.
Geophysical Institute Prague also predicts nothing but quiet
geomagnetic conditions for September 18 to 24.  Steve Jones, N6SJ of
Woodside, California hopes to work FT5GA, the Glorioso DXpedition.
Glorioso is northwest of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean at
approximately 11R5 degrees south latitude, and 47R33 degrees east
longitude.  For more information concerning radio propagation, see
the ARRL Technical Information Service web page.  For a detailed
explanation of the numbers used in this bulletin, see the k9la prop
link off the TIS web page.  An archive of past propagation bulletins
is also available.  Sunspot numbers were 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, and 0
with a mean of 0.  10R7 cm flux was 69R3, 69R3, 69, 69R1, 69, 69R2,
and 68R8 with a mean of 69R1.  Estimated planetary A indices were 2,
4, 4, 6, 5, 5 and 6 with a mean of 4R6.  Estimated mid latitude A
indices were 2, 2, 1, 4, 4, 4 and 5 with a mean of 3R1‚

‰ End of 18 WPM transition file ‰