Solar maximum is the most active phase of the sun’s roughly 11-year solar cycle, which occurs when our home star’s magnetic field weakens and eventually flips completely.
During this explosive peak, dark sunspots cover the solar surface and spit out more frequent and intense solar flares or coronal mass ejections. If these solar storms hit Earth, they can trigger radio blackouts, interfere with satellites, disrupt ground-based infrastructure and paint widespread auroras across the night sky.