If you are looking for the observed sunspot number derived from optical
observations of the sun, you've been miss-routed.
This link provides a comparison of
the effective SSN shown on this page to the observed solar sunspot
number.
The parameter shown in the upper plot is the effective sunspot number (SSNe) calculated using real-time foF2 observations collected during the 06- or 24-hour period ending at the date/time the SSNe is plotted for. The data plotted in the lower plot are the RMS percent difference between the foF2 observations used in the SSNe calculation and the model foF2 values generated using the SSNe in the URSI-88 foF2 model. The heavy and light curves for both SSNe and the RMS foF2 differences correspond to values calculated using the past 24 hours of foF2 data (heavy lines) and values calculated from the past 06 hours of foF2 data (light lines). Note the quasi-diurnal variation in the 06hr SSNe values, which is due primarily to unequal longitude spacing of the foF2 stations from which the SSNe are being calculated.
The dashed line in the SSNe plot indicates the maximum 24-hour SSNe that has been observed so far during Cycle 24. This might be from any of the SSNe values calculated during the day, so it might not correspond with the daily SSNe values shown elsewhere on this website. The maximum observed SSNe is calculated once daily, just after 0000 UT.
The heavy line along the top of the plot is a rough indicator of the number of foF2 values used in the 24hr near-real-time calculation. A wide line indicates that at least 350 values were used, and narrower line indicates less than 350 but more than 200, and no line indicates fewer than 200. The number of foF2 values used and the RMS foF2 difference can be used as an indicator of the usefulness and validity of a particular SSNe value.
The following table summarizes the observations used in calculating the most recent SSNe value. The X entry for a particular station/time indicates there was an foF2 value available and it was used in the SSNe calculation. A - entry indicates that an foF2 value was available, but it was excluded from the SSNe calculation (it was identified as an outlier point). The bar (|) symbol along the time axis of the table indicates the latest-data time (ie., data to the right of this column are from the previous day).
Date: 20120523 000000000011111111112222 GMLAT Station Used Rej 012345678901234567890123 ----- ------------------- ---- ---- +----------------|-------+ 49.7 Boulder 24 00 |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX| 49.4 Fairford 00 00 | | | 49.1 Chilton 10 00 | XXXXXXXXXX | 49.0 Wallops Island 24 00 |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX| 48.3 Warsaw 18 00 |XXXXXXXX XXXXXX|XXX X| 46.8 Dourbes 00 00 | | | 46.3 Pruhonice 23 00 |XXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX| 43.5 Manzhouli 00 00 | | | 42.5 Dyess AFB 00 00 | | | 42.5 Bermuda 00 00 | | | 42.1 Eglin AFB 00 00 | | | 41.6 Khabasrovsk 00 00 | | | 40.6 Point Arguello 00 00 | | | 38.7 Wakkanai 12 00 | XX XXXXX|XXXXX | 36.8 Rome 15 00 |XXXXXXX XXXXXXX X| 36.3 Roquetes 24 00 |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX| 35.4 San Vito 00 00 | | | 34.1 Gibilmanna 12 00 | XXXX X XXXXX| XX| 34.1 Beijing 00 00 | | | 33.2 I-Cheon 22 00 | XXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX| 32.6 Athens 18 00 |XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX| 32.4 Ashkhabad 00 00 | | | 32.0 El Arenosillo 00 00 | | | 30.5 Osan AFB 00 00 | | | 30.5 Anyang 00 00 | | | 30.3 Ramey 24 00 |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX| 29.9 San Juan 00 00 | | | 29.4 Jeju 23 00 |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXX| 28.7 Kokubunji 14 00 |X XX XX X XX XX| XXX X| 24.0 Yamagawa 09 00 | X XX XX | XXXX | 22.6 Chongqing 00 00 | | | 18.9 Okinawa 14 00 | XX XXXXXXX XX XXX | 16.0 Guangzhou 00 00 | | | 4.0 Kwajalein 00 00 | | | 0.9 Jicamarca 21 00 |XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX| -11.8 Vanimo 00 00 | | | -17.0 Ascension Island 00 00 | | | -18.6 Port Moresby 00 00 | | | -22.3 Darwin 23 00 |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX|XXXXXXX| -23.1 Cocos Island 22 00 |XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XX| -25.3 Nuie 20 00 |XXXXXX X XXXXXXXX XXXXX| -28.9 Townsville 23 00 |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX| -32.8 Madimbo 00 00 | | | -32.9 Learmonth 15 00 |XXXXXXXXXXXXX XX| | -36.5 Norfolk Island 24 00 |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX| -36.9 Brisbane 24 00 |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX| -38.3 Port Stanley 21 00 |XXXX XXXXXXX XXX|XXXXXXX| -38.6 Louisvale 00 00 | | | -41.9 Grahamstown 00 00 | | | -42.2 Hermanos 00 00 | | | -44.7 Camden 22 00 |XXXXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX| -45.1 Mundaring 00 00 | | | -45.6 Perth 18 04 |XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX---X- XX| -46.0 Canberra 19 00 |XXXXXXXXXXXXX |XXXXXX | ------------------- ----- ---- ---- +----------------|-------+ # Expected / # Received / Percent: 1248 / 542 / 43.4
If you would like to get a feel for how effective these effective-SSN indices are, foF2 plots comparing the observations with model foF2 values calculated using the NWRA and 55SWS SSNe values are available. There is a one-day delay between the latest SSNe values available and these plots to permit more data to arrive at the NOAA SWPC for comparison.
Daily foF2 Comparison Plots
The foF2 data used in these calculations were obtained from the NOAA SWPC. These data are being made avaiable from SWPC on a test basis, so there will be occassional periods of data loss as their system is tested.
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