Highly volatile region of the Sun rotating towards Earth

January 15, 2011 – Massive explosions rock the farside of the Sun for 2nd consecutive day. Space Weather says: “FARSIDE ACTIVITY CONTINUES: An active region on the far side of the sun is crackling with solar flares and hurling CMEs into space. This eruption was nearly as dramatic as another one the day before, and suggests that more eruptions are in the offing. The explosions are occuring almost directly beneath NASA’s STEREO-B spacecraft. STEREO’s onboard telescope has recorded bright flashes of extreme UV radiation and shadowy shock waves emanating from the blast site. The telescope has also pinpointed the source: It is located just over the sun’s eastern limb. Solar rotation is turning the region toward Earth, so geoeffective solar activity could commence within days.” –Space Weather

Update: EMERGING ACTIVE REGION: A far-side sunspot which has produced a number of strong flares and CMEs in recent days is emerging over the sun’s eastern limb (above). We can now see it from Earth.