Fermi LAT detection of renewed and strong GeV activity from blazar 3C 279

The Large Area Telescope (LAT), one of two instruments on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, has observed an intense gamma-ray flare from a source positionally consistent with the flat spectrum radio quasar 3C 279, also known as 3FGL J1256.1-0547 (Acero et al. 2015, APJS, 218, 23), with radio coordinates R.A. 194.0465271 deg, Dec -5.7893119 deg (J2000.0; Johnston et al. 1995, AJ, 110, 880).