The Sun Has an 11-Year Mood Cycle

Our Sun isn’t as stable as it looks. Every 11 years or so, it goes through a cycle of increasing and decreasing activity, driven by its magnetic field. During solar maximum, the Sun is more violent, spitting out solar flares and coronal mass ejections that can mess with satellites and power grids. At solar minimum, it calms down, with fewer sunspots and less solar wind. NASA and NOAA announced in October 2024 that the Sun had reached solar maximum for the current cycle, with the maximum phase expected to last about another year before activity declines—though strong flares and auroras can still happen.