More thoughts on earthside dud SS. Is the sun being drawn toward something in space or is it being propelled away from something? If it is being propelled away then maybe the earth is acting like a disc that is not allowing those forces to connect with the earth facing side, like the disc in the soho images so we can see the sun. Earth may be blocking energy from something directly behind us.

Or it could be it is both attracted and repelled so when it gets to facing away from earth whatever is attracting it is drawing out the solar flares.