Every 11 years or so, for reasons scientists have yet to fully comprehend, the sun comes a little undone. Magnetic storms rage across its surface, sunspots erupt like acne, and clouds of electrically charged particles fly outward at 2 million miles per hour. When those clouds reach Earth, they can overload power lines and disrupt communications, but they also have an oddly lyrical side: The rain of solar particles lights up the aurora, one of nature's most breathtaking spectacles.
Now is the perfect time to witness both the beauty and the beast. The current solar cycle apparently reached its maximum late last year. Auroras usually hit their peak the following year, so the view this month should be about as good as it gets. And these days, a fleet of spacecraft constantly monitors the sun's violent behavior and its earthly consequences. The results of these round-the-clock observations are available to ...
