On March 24, a 'stealth' coronal mass ejection hit Earth without warning, creating a historic and powerful geomagnetic storm that made vast auroras visible in more than 30 U.S.

Solar flares have also grown more frequent and more powerful. Overall, the number of observed sunspots has exceeded the predicted number for 27 months in a row. In January, scientists observed more than 140 sunspots, when no more than 63 were predicted, according to Live Science.

'By looking at those sunspots we can get an idea of how strong and complex the Sun's magnetic field is at that moment.' 'Sunspots appear when strong magnetic fields poke through the surface of the Sun,' James told Live Science.

It's 'going to peak earlier and it's going to peak higher than expected,' Alex James, a solar physicist at the University of College London, told Live Science.īy monitoring the number and the frequency of sunspots, scientists are able to track the solar cycle and its progress towards its maximum activity. However, recent observations of sunspots and solar phenomena indicate it may reach this apex sooner and be more potent than originally anticipated. At the time, scientists predicted the current solar cycle would hit its climax in 2025, with a peak of roughly 115 sunspots. The current cycle, referred to as Solar Cycle 25, officially began in December 2019, according to NASA. During this period of increased solar activity, more sunspots appear on the surface of the Sun, prompting more solar flares and storms that could potentially disrupt communications, damage power infrastructure, and affect satellite operations on Earth. Roughly every 11 years, the sun's magnetic field gets tangled up until it results in a massive reversal of its north and south poles. The Sun could potentially reach solar maximum-a peak in the solar cycle that could cause majors problems for those of us on Earth-by the end of the year, according to a report from Live Science. December 2019 marks the beginning of Solar Cycle 25, and the Sun’s activity will once again ramp up until solar maximum, predicted for 2025. This split image shows the difference between an active Sun during solar maximum (on the left, captured in April 2014) and a quiet Sun during solar minimum (on the right, captured in December 2019).

Rapunzel suns