Solar Maximum

...is when the sun's poles switch, which results in strong solar flares and CMEs (coronal mass ejections). The effect on earth can be devastating. It can destroy billions of dollars worth of satellites hence the core of modern information infrastructures.

Scientists became aware that the sun went through cycles and changes by observing sunspots, the darker, relatively cooler areas of the sun. The number of sunspots can be an indication of the degree of solar activity. The average number of visible sunspots varies over time, increasing and decreasing on a regular cycle of between 9.5 to 11 years, on average about 10.8 years. An amateur astronomer, Heinrich Schwabe, was the first to note this cycle in 1843. The part of the cycle with low sunspot activity is referred to as "solar minimum," the portion with high activity is known as "solar maximum." The year 2000, it is believed, will be the solar maximum for the current solar cycle. source

It last happened in the year 2001.

The Earth's magnetic field prtects us from these flares, well, to an extent.

Solarmax is an IMAX film capturing this very event. Click for its official website. The film itself falls short on explaining the phenomenon but is amazing on the screen. Combining footages from the SOHO project, NASA, and a series of time-lapse recording, it delievers a solarmaximum punch of visual pleasure for the sky enthusiasts.

When asked what they'll do for the holiday, a student of mine said that she is going to Choshi to see the first sunrise of the year. Choshi, highly accessible for me (a 30-min drive), is the first place where the sun rises in Japan. Quite a romantic little idea I say, frigid but probably worthy.

Choshi and its first sunrise of the year.