What is the Sun waiting for? That’s the question solar physicists are asking right now. Just at the time the Sun should be most active, our star has gone unexpectedly quiet. This is supposed be the time of the Solar Maximum, a peak in the roughly 11-year cycle of solar activity. But right now, astronomers are seeing very few large solar flares… …and practically no output of x-rays – both of which are usually telltale signs of solar max. And, as we make this video, there is just one single, very small, quiet sunspot on an otherwise completely clean Sun. The events within any solar cycle have never been completely predictable. And researchers are seeing this as glowing example of just how much we DON’T know about the Sun. {mood change – music cross fade} Just because the Sun isn’t kicking up a fuss, doesn’t mean we won’t get colorful auroras… …or see our satellites get hit with geomagnetic storms. The solar wind is still flowing and can disturb the state of Earth’s magnetic field. And, over time, the satellites that carry our phone calls, Internet and television shows can get hit with charged particles. Most such satellites, placed in 24-hour “geosynchronous” orbit, are shielded with material designed to last about a decade and a half. But tiny electronic components in their vital internal amplifiers can erode in the radiation. And eventually all of these satellites will be retired. {back to original mood – cross fade back to 1st music cue} No one is quite sure why the Sun is snoozing, but scientists are not at all concerned. They do believe that the Sun’s magnetic field is just about ready to flip. And it’s possible that this Solar Max will have a double peak and we are just in the muted time between them If that proves true, then scientists may look back on this as the “calm before the solar storms” of 2014. For SPACE.com, I’m Dave Brody