Friends in Radio Land -
As advertised here earlier, the effects of the solar wind on the
magnetosphere decrease as we approach the solstices:
Magnetic storms per month
1,475 storms from 1868 to 1992
Number (Ap>40)
180
*
160 * * *
* * * *
140 * * * *
* * * * *
120 * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * *
100 * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * *
80 * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * *
60 * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * *
40 * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * *
20 * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * *
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Data from the National Geophysical Data Center, Boulder, CO.
Thus, the highest K-sum at Meanook in early December was 17 on
December 12. And there was only one 3-hour period with K=6 in the
first two weeks, on the 12th.
K-sums were in double digits, up to 16, in the late part of the first
week in December, when the solar wind was its strongest. The
lowest K-sums, from 3 to 6, were for the five days from December
10 to 14. Adding 27 days suggests the best high-latitude dXing
would be from January 6 to 11. Let's hope Old Sol comes through.
73,
Bob, NM7M
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