The average daily sunspot numbers this week were about the same as last week, while the average daily solar flux declined a little more than eight points to 128.9. Geomagnetic indicators were quiet. The average daily sunspot numbers of 95.3 for the week is considerably below the average for the previous 90 days, which was 120.8. Sunspot numbers for December 15-21 were 44, 60, 95, 103, 133, 139 and 93, with a mean of 95.3. The 10.7 cm flux was 124.2, 121, 119.6, 127.4, 128.2, 137.4 and 144.5, with a mean of 128.9. The estimated planetary A indices were 0, 0, 0, 1, 4, 3 and 3, with a mean of 1.6. The estimated mid-latitude A indices were 2, 2, 2, 3, 6, 5 and 5, with a mean of 3.6.
The solar flux has been climbing over the past week, after a low of 119.6 on December 17. The predicted flux values for the near term are 145 on December 23, 140 on December 24-27, 145 on December 28-30, then dropping suddenly to 120 on December 31-January 2, 125 on January 3-4, 128 on January 5-8, and then peaking at 130 on January 9-17. The predicted planetary A index is 5 on December 23 through January 4, 8 on January 5-6, and 5 on January 7-21. This is from NOAA and the U.S. Air Force Space Weather Operations. There is another opinion, of course: Geophysical Institute Prague predicts quiet conditions December 23, quiet to unsettled December 24, active conditions December 25, unsettled to active December 26, quiet to unsettled December 27 and quiet again on December 28-29.
Active conditions are quite different from an A index of 5, although the NOAA/USAF outlook is at least eight hours newer than the Prague prediction. But looking back 24 hours earlier to the December 21 prediction, USAF/NOAA has nothing different on December 25, although they do show an A index of 8 on December 29. You can check here for the latest prediction, which is updated daily after 2100.
The News
Ham Radio in Hollywood: Amateur Radio a Plot Point in Major Motion Picture
ARRL Published Date Hits: 42
According to previews, the plot of the movie Journey 2: The Mysterious Island -- set to be released February 10 -- hinges on Amateur Radio. The movie’s hero Sean Anderson (played by Josh Hutcherson) receives a coded distress signal that comes from a mysterious island where no island should exist. Sean decides to follow the signal with the unwilling assistance from his stepfather Hank (played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson).
Sean explains to Hank why he wants to hunt down the signal: “A few nights ago, a radio signal got sent out from these coordinates. It could be the mysterious island that Jules Verne wrote about.”
Hank replies: “You think you’re gonna travel halfway around the world and meet up with some lunatic who’s messing around on a ham radio?”
“That’s not some lunatic,” Sean says. “That’s my grandfather.”
Other than this mention of “ham radio,” it is not yet known how Amateur Radio will be featured in the movie.
Together, Sean and Hank fly out to a tropical island to begin their quest. There, they meet up with Gabato (a helicopter pilot played by Luis Guzman) and his daughter Kailani (played by Vanessa Hudgens). The group sets out to find the island, where they find the island’s lone human inhabitant: Sean’s grandfather (played by Michael Caine). For a while, the five enjoy the wonders of the island -- the lost world of Atlantis -- but soon, seismic shockwaves begin destroying this rediscovered world. They must escape before the island is forced under the sea and its treasures are buried forever.
In the summer of 2011, two movies featured Amateur Radio: Mr Poppers Penguins and Super 8. While it was exciting to see ham radio on the big screen, there were inaccuracies in its portrayal, ranging from incorrect frequencies to the wrong equipment being used. Radio amateurs are holding out high hopes for Last Man Standing, a new situation comedy that currently airs on Tuesday nights on ABC. The ARRL has been working closely with Last Man Standing producer John Amodeo, NN6JA, to ensure that Amateur Radio will be portrayed correctly.
You can watch the trailer for Journey 2: The Mysterious Island here.