Top panel: smoothed COPS and all model data. Clearly the models are not able to reproduce the large scale variations observed. Between October 13 and 26 the model average is more or less a horizontal line with little variation over time. Bottom panel: smoothed and original COPS data together with smoothed illumination model data with applied latitude correction. The fit between the large scale features and the model is significantly increased. The same applies for averaged AMPS and BATS-R-US data which are not shown in this plot.