Summary
The sun is nearing the peak of its magnetic activity cycle, which means more sunspots, more storms and, potentially, danger to Earth. The sun’s magnetic field is generated in its interior, where conditions are so hot that electrons are stripped from their host atoms.
The tangled field lines emanating from sunspots store vast amounts of energy. They can interact, snap and reconnect to release that energy. Several were visible during April’s eclipse, stretching out in the sky. If one is aimed at Earth, it can interact with our geomagnetic field.
It's unlikely that such a blockbuster will slam into us this cycle, but we are seeing increased activity from the sun. At least two sunspots in recent weeks got big enough to see by eye, and there have been some decently powerful flares as well. This isn’t to say you need to fret over every flare that occurs, but over the long run, these storms are a threat we need to deal with.
