Next Solar Maximum Scheduled Between 2011-2012

Unlike the Earth's magnetic field which changes slowly, the Sun's magnetic field can change quite rapidly. Small bits of field can change over a few minutes. During solar flares a whole section of the Sun's magnetic field can be disrupted in minutes or hours. For example, on April 14, 1994, a large-scale eruptive event which resulted in a cloud of solar material occured weighing 1 billion tons moving towards the Earth at a speed of over 1 million miles per hour.
The most rapid changes to the Sun's magnetic field occur locally, in restricted regions of the magnetic field. However, the entire structure of the Sun's global magnetic field changes on an 11 year cycle. Every 11 years, the Sun moves through a period of fewer, smaller sunspots, prominences, and flares - called a "solar minimum" - and a period of more, larger sunspots, prominences and flares - called a "solar maximum." A maximum and a minimum, taken together, make up one solar cycle. During the 11 years, the strongest magnetic fields (in sunspots) slowly migrate towards the Sun's equator from locations about midway to the Sun's poles. After 11 years, when the next cycle starts, the magnetic field poles are reversed.
The last solar maximum was in 2001. The next solar maximum expected between 2011 -2012. On March 10, 2006 NASA researchers announced that the next cycle would be the strongest since the historic maximum in 1958 in which northern lights could be seen as far south as Mexico.

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