SOLAR ACTIVITY UPDATE: Big AR-11745 Flexing Magnetic Muscle (May11th,2013).

BIG SUNSPOT, EMERGING: A farside sunspot that unleashed at least two M-class solar flares last week is now turning toward Earth. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory caught the active region, AR1745, emerging over the sun's eastern limb during the early hours of May 11th. NOAA forecasters estimate a 40% chance of more M-class flares today. The location of AR1745, still near the sun's limb, will mitigate any Earth effects if the sunspot erupts. This will change, however, as the sun's rotation turns AR1745 more squarely toward our planet in the days ahead. Stay tuned.