Sunspot 1476, the most prominent feature in our field of view on the sun last month, is now rotating back into view. It now has the designation 1493.

Currently, our view of the sun is sporting minimal activity, but as can be seen by the image in the gallery below, 1493 and and 1494 are just peeking over the horizon that will take them across our field of view for the next 10 to 12 days.

Views from STEREO-B shows that sunspot, 1493, has now come together to look more like one larger sunspot rather than the four closely packed sunspots that 1476 was comprised of less than a month ago.

By the time that Venus transits the sun on June 5th, that spot will figure prominantly in the sun’s landscape, being close to center of our view all that week.

Although it is too early to tell how much activity will be thrown our way, it can be reasonably expected to be spouting at least M-class flares as it transits across the sun. No reports are out from any prominent watchers as yet as what to expect however.

Of more interest to night-time sky watchers in the northern latitudes is the large coronal hole opening up to the front of 1493 (It can be seen as the dark region in the article image). Coronal holes are large regions of the sun that are less dense and cooler than the surrounding areas. The structure of the magnetic field opens up in these areas and allow a constant flow of high density plasma to stream from these holes. This will increase the intensity of solar wind directed at earth for the next few days.

These solar winds will begin to produce auroras in the night-time skies starting on the same day as the Venus transit.

The likelyhood of geomagnetic storms increase as these holes are directed toward earth as well.