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Scientists say the Sun is about to enter a peak activity period called a "solar maximum." This point in the solar cycle typically brings abundant sunspots and flares as the Sun's magnetic poles flip. But what does that mean for us here on Earth?

First, it's essential to understand what's happening on the Sun during a solar maximum. The Sun constantly undergoes a type of motion called convection, in which its plasma boils toward the surface, then sinks back toward the star's 27 million-degree core as it cools. This process is what builds strong magnetic fields at the Sun's poles. Every decade or so, however, this convection becomes unstable, causing the Sun's north and south poles to flip. This point in the solar cycle triggers a period of intense activity on the Sun's surface, resulting in what we call a solar maximum.

Solar maximum gives astronomers beautiful images of sunspots and bright solar flares. Astronomers also spend this period looking for coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, in which the Sun spits out massive balls of plasma at hundreds to thousands of kilometers per second. But because the Sun is so close to Earth, these phenomena have real-life implications for us humans and our electricity-dependent infrastructure.