A bright spot flaring up in late April and early May is a sunspot probably from the previous solar cycle.
The sun has continued to be mainly free of sunspots over the past few months, puzzling solar observers and actually allowing Earth to cool in an otherwise warming climate.
The first sunspots of the next solar cycle appeared in early 2008 but were not followed by many more since that time.
In a curious astrophysical development on April 29, a spot that appears to be associated with the previous 11-year cycle emerged.
Sunspots early in a new cycle usually appear at mid-latitudes of the solar surface, then gradually emerge closer to the equator as the solar cycle progresses.
The location of the April 29 sunspot near the equator is one sign that it probably belonged to the previous cycle.
NASA says it's not unusual for the old and new sunspot cycles to overlap for a time before the old one completely fades away.
Solar images: Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)