wrote:
Space Weather News for Jan. 4, 2008
http://spaceweather.com


Solar physicists have been waiting for the appearance of a
reversed-polarity sunspot to signal the start of the next solar cycle.
The wait is over. A magnetically reversed, high-latitude sunspot
emerged today. This marks the beginning of Solar Cycle 24 and the
first step toward a new solar maximum. Intense solar activity won't
begin right away. Solar cycles usually take a few years to build from
solar minimum (where we are now) to Solar Max (expected in 2011 or
2012). It's a slow journey, but we're on our way!

There was one such sunspot more than a year ago which only lasted a few
hours but it apparently didn't portent the beginning of cycle-24. Maybe
the latest one will.

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2..._backwards.htm