This morning/early afternoon I saw at http://spaceweather.com/ is reporting on this. They state: Sunspot 1024 is crackling with B- and C-class solar flares. The activity is so intense, astronomers can't seem to take a picture of the sunspot without catching a flare in action. Pete Lawrence sends this example from his backyard observatory in Selsey, UK (go to the link to see the image): "Active region 1024 is putting on a fantastic show," says Lawrence. "The center of this region is incredibly bright and fluctuating. Solar observers haven't seen an active region like this one in more than two years. It is big, complex, and rapidly growing: movie. The magnetic polarity of the sunspot, revealed by SOHO magnetograms, show that it is a member of new Solar Cycle 1024. This makes sense: New research shows that solar jet streams are beginning to stimulate new- cycle sunspot production. Sunspot 1024 appears to be a sign of the process at work, heralding more to come. Monitoring is encouraged. Jay