According to reports, NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has taken the images of large sunspots behind the Sun from Earth's side. So, views from Curiosity's Mast Camera (Mastcam) are showing large sunspots. At present, there are no other resources for offering views of the Sun from the side of the solar system, which is opposite from Earth.

According to NASA, the Sun completes a rotation nearly once a month. This rotation is quicker near its equator than close to its poles.

Sunspots, which develop prior to rotating into view of Earth and Earth-orbiting spacecraft, could help predict space-weather impacts of solar emissions linked to sunspots. As per reports, one cluster that was rotating out of Curiosity's observation was a source area of an emission from the Sun, observed by NASA's Earth-orbiting Solar Dynamics Observatory.

At present, NASA's STEREO, which is a spacecraft that monitors the Sun, is almost exactly behind the Sun from Earth's side, however for the time being, it is not in communication with researchers.

As per scientists, the Sun interrupts radio transmissions, which cross very close to it. Last month, there was no communication between researchers and Curiosity when Mars moved almost behind the Sun, however the rover again began complete communication and operations in June.

According to Yihua Zheng, project leader for NASA Space Weather Services at NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre, Maryland, "Tracking the sunspot activity on the far side of the Sun is useful for space-weather forecasting. It helps us monitor how the sunspots evolve and grow before they become visible from this side".