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<ul><li>Apple has announced the 45 apps and game finalists for the <keyword id="24169738" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="2024-App-Store-Awards" source="keywords">2024 App Store Awards</keyword>.</li><li>The 2024 App Store Awards also introduced a new category for <keyword id="24169739" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Apple-Vision-Pro-apps" source="keywords">Apple Vision Pro apps</keyword>.</li><li>The winners of the 2024 App Store Awards will be announced later this year.</li></ul> Cupertino tech giant Apple on Tuesday announced the 45 finalists for the 2024 App Store Awards. The finalists were selected by Apple's global App Store editorial team for their exceptional quality, innovation, and impact on users' lives. The App Store Awards, an annual tradition, honour the developers who push the boundaries, offering users novel ways to explore, create, and connect. The 2024 awards introduce a new category dedicated to Apple Vision Pro apps, recognising experiences designed for Apple's spatial computing platform. The finalists also include apps and games for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch. <keyword id="24169741" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="iPhone-App-of-the-Year" source="keywords">iPhone App of the Year</keyword>: Apps like Kino for its professional video recording capabilities, Runna for customised running plans, and Tripsy for travel organisations have been recognised for enhancing everyday experiences. iPhone Game of the Year: Titles such as AFK Journey, The WereCleaner, and Zenless Zone Zero have captivated players with their rich narratives and compelling gameplay. iPad App of the Year: Bluey: Let’s Play, Moises and Procreate Dreams have been celebrated for fostering creativity and family fun, providing tools for music practice and animation storytelling. <keyword id="24165437" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="iPad-Game-of-the-Year" source="keywords">iPad Game of the Year</keyword>: Games like Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Disney Speedstorm, and Squad Busters offer players dynamic worlds and competitive play. Apple Arcade Game of the Year: Balatro+ stands out for its innovative card game, while Outlanders 2 and Sonic Dream Team refresh classic gaming with new adventures. Mac App of the Year: Adobe Lightroom, OmniFocus 4, and Shapr3D are finalists for their powerful project management and design tools. Mac Game of the Year: Frostpunk 2, Stray, and Thank Goodness You’re Here! bring unique storytelling and visual aesthetics to Mac users. Apple Watch App of the Year: LookUp, Lumy, and Watch to 5K provide immediate access to vocabulary improvement, natural rhythms, and fitness tracking. Apple Vision Pro App of the Year: JigSpace, NBA, and What If…? An Immersive Story is at the forefront of spatial computing, redefining how users interact with digital content. Apple Vision Pro Game of the Year: Loóna, THRASHER, and Vacation Simulator have introduced relaxing gameplay and novel control schemes. Apple TV App of the Year: DROPOUT, F1 TV, and Zoom offer entertainment and connectivity on the big screen. The winners of the 2024 App Store Awards will be announced later this year, recognizing apps that have set new standards in creativity, innovation, and technical achievement. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/realme-gt-7-pro-with-snapdragon-8-elite-chipset-launched-starting-at-59999/articleshow/115689685.cms">Realme GT 7 Pro with Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset launched starting at ₹59,999</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/microsofts-ai-powered-recall-feature-is-now-rolling-out-to-copilot-pcs/articleshow/115654136.cms">Microsoft’s AI-powered Recall feature is now rolling out to Copilot+ PCs</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/jio-airtel-and-vi-lost-nearly-11-million-subscribers-in-september-2024/articleshow/115565541.cms">Jio, Airtel and Vi lost nearly 11 million subscribers in September 2024</a>

Apple unveils 45 app and game finalists for the 2024 App Store Awards

As 2024 wraps up, YouTube has unveiled its year-end trends, offering a window into the moments, creators, and events that captivated audiences across India. From cricketing showdowns to viral music tracks, the platform once again reflected the nation’s pulse, where billions of views transformed fleeting topics into lasting cultural highlights. The year’s biggest digital trends featured an eclectic mix of events and personalities. Dominating the conversation were global sporting spectacles like the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the Indian Premier League, and the Paris 2024 Olympics. These events amassed billions of views, cementing cricket and sports as evergreen passions for Indian audiences. Cultural moments also had their share of the spotlight. The Ambani wedding, a topic of unmatched intrigue, garnered over 6.5 billion views on videos that included “Ambani” and “Wedding” in their titles. Meanwhile, phrases like “moye moye” became internet sensations, accumulating 4.5 billion views. Iconic figures like Diljit Dosanjh and Ratan Tata inspired millions, with Dosanjh’s name linked to videos generating nearly 4 billion views. YouTube’s end-of-year report also shed light on India’s top content creators, whose innovative storytelling captured audiences worldwide. While global powerhouse MrBeast led the charge with 332 million subscribers, homegrown creators like Filmy Suraj Actor (32.5M) and Sujal Thakral (33.5M) proved the power of local content. Others such as Cristiano, Box of Vengeance, and the Stokes Twins further added to the platform’s diverse creator ecosystem. Indian creators made waves on Shorts, with hyperlocal music in languages like Marathi and Garhwali crossing borders to reach global audiences. Priyal Kukreja championed women’s voices, while creators turned memes, cricket moments, and celebrity weddings into engaging, bite-sized stories that resonated deeply with fans. Music continued to play a pivotal role in shaping YouTube trends. Songs like “Kurchi Madathapetti” by Sahithi Chaganti and Sri Krishna, “Jale 2” by Shiva Chaudhary, and “Aaj Ki Raat” by Madhubanti Bagchi and Divya Kumar defined 2024’s soundtrack. On YouTube Shorts, hits such as “Dhana” by Priyanka Meher and Rongpaz and “Tauba Tauba” by Karan Aujla kept audiences grooving. These tracks not only became fan favourites but also helped drive the platform’s engagement, with users creating endless remixes, dance challenges, and covers that extended the lifespan of each hit. One of the most striking trends of 2024 was the rise of active fan participation. Viewers weren’t just consuming content—they were shaping it. From cricket memes and music edits to reactions to celebrity weddings, fans co-created content that amplified the original stories, making them even more impactful.

YouTube unveils year-end trends, here is what India watched in 2024

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Wall Street bonus season is fast approaching.</li><li>For the first time since 2021, payouts could be higher across the industry.</li></ul>Bonuses are projected to be up across the financial services industry — asset management, alternatives, and investment banking — for the first time since 2021, according to a new report.Compensation consulting firm Johnson Associates issued its annual bonus findings on Tuesday. It predicted that some financial services professionals could see year-end bonus increases of as much as 35% over last year.The report includes an analysis of 13 of the nation's largest investment and commercial banks and 17 of the largest traditional and alternative asset management firms. Johnson Associates' predictions come as firms <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-sachs-3q-results-dealmaking-trading-resurgence-david-solomon-2024-10">from Goldman Sachs</a> to Blackstone report <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/blackstone-third-quarter-earnings-private-credit-insurance-unit-aum-2024-10">signs of a corporate dealmaking surge</a>.The financial professionals poised to rake in the most, meanwhile, are not the usual "rainmakers" of Wall Street, but rather a more behind-the-scenes group: the underwriters.Here's a look inside three slides that illustrate key findings from the Johnson Associates report.<div type="image" title="Johnson Associates' 2024 year-end incentives report." height="653" width="870" msid="115218073" hostid="261" sizebytes="59970"></div>Debt underwriters stand to see the biggest bonus bumps this year — up to 35% over 2023, Johnson Associates founder Alan Johnson told BI.Equity underwriters are a close second, with the report projecting increases of as much as 25%, followed by sell-side sales &amp; trading professionals. Investment bankers focused on M&amp;A — also known as advisory professionals — are likely to see only subtle bumps in bonus pay from last year, the report found.Of course, M&amp;A advisors are starting to see <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wall-street-q3-investment-banking-boom-could-be-upended-2024-10">signs of a dealmaking resurgence</a> thanks in part to the Federal Reserve's campaign to lower interest rates, which could lead to bigger bonuses next year."Unless things go sideways unexpectedly, M&amp;A — the sexiest of the sexy businesses — will hopefully have a very good 2025," Johnson told BI.Johnson sees bonuses for asset management professionals increasing anywhere from 7% to 12% and bumps of 5% to 15% for hedge fund employees.<div type="image" title="Johnson Associates' 2024 year-end incentives report." height="659" width="878" msid="115218071" hostid="261" sizebytes="33056"></div>Asset management will be another winner. Although Johnson predicts overall gains of 7% to 12%, some firms have set aside bonus pools that are 20% larger than last year, as the chart above shows. (Each letter of this bar graph above represents a different firm.)This is also true for asset-management divisions within banks, he said."There's been a sea change in financial services where the sexiest businesses used to be the high volatility trading and banking," said Johnson. "But now it's the more fee-driven businesses of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-sachs-private-wealth-management-asset-david-solomon-2023-1">asset and wealth management</a>, which is more predictable and it doesn't have as much of an impact on our capital use."<div type="image" title="Johnson Associates' 2024 year-end incentives report." height="659" width="878" msid="115218072" hostid="261" sizebytes="34580"></div>Overall, the numbers are good compared to the last couple of years, and "OK" in the grander scheme of things, he said. They'll look more like pre-pandemic levels."This is kind of a little bit of coming out of the trough, but it's certainly not as high as it's ever been."See the full report on the Johnson Associates <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://johnsonassociates.com/#!/insights">website</a>.

The winners of Wall Street bonus season this year: the underwriters

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Several chains have said they're planning reductions in their store numbers for 2025.</li><li>Topping the list are Advance Auto Parts and Walgreens, which will shutter 1,200 stores combined.</li></ul>2025 is still more than a month away, but it's already shaping up to be another rocky year for retail.Several chains have already announced planned reductions in their store fleets for 2025. Analysts at UBS project the total number of US retail closures could reach 45,000 over the next five years.While UBS said that number would be led largely by smaller stores going out of business, some larger companies are also trimming their store footprints in response to changing consumer trends such as e-commerce, remote work, and other financial pressures.The shutdowns follow a tough 2024. A Business Insider tally of disclosures from 13 retail chain brands found that more than 2,000 stores have closed or are set to close across the US this year, and more comprehensive figures from Coresight Research put the number far higher, at 6,189 so far this year.Topping the 2025 list so far is Advance Auto Parts, which said Wednesday that it will close 727 locations by the middle of next year."This action is prudent to support the long-term health of the company," CEO Shane O'Kelly told investors on the company's third-quarter earnings call.Earlier this year, Walgreens made headlines when it said it would shutter about 25% of its 8,700 US locations over the next three years, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/walgreens-pharmacy-closing-1200-stores-turnaround-effort-2024-10">starting with 500 in 2025</a>.Other brands include Denny's, with 100 closures in the works (following 50 this year), and Macy's, which has between <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/macys-stores-closing-locations-list">50 and 100 locations</a> on the chopping block next year.If the past is any indication, these won't be the only ones.For one thing, even healthy retailers like Walmart and Target periodically <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-closing-smaller-stores-smart-strategy-2024-2">review and trim their store fleets</a> in the normal course of business. In fact, analysts have previously told BI that companies should.Beyond that, some brands don't survive forever, even if they're beloved today — remember the ubiquity of Blockbuster, K-Mart, or <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stores-closing-in-2023-list">Bed Bath &amp; Beyond</a>?Possible new tariffs and trade proposals during Donald Trump's second presidency could also increase the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-trump-tariffs-will-impact-prices-technology-clothes-appliances-furniture-2024-11">cost of some items, causing</a> trouble for struggling retailers.In any event, the year hasn't even begun, but nearly 1,500 retail closures are slated — already roughly half the amount BI has tracked for full-year totals in recent years.

Next year is already looking rough for retail store closures

Why your chocolate bar is more expensive this year

The funniest wildlife photos of the year

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Amanda Manley was excited to get a job at Tesla in 2017 and loved the ambitious energy of her team.</li><li>She worked long hours and sacrificed time with her family, which eventually took a toll.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with <a target="_blank" href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i3bF4N7itbbHyWLoRy75TzrS23t-ssaONB-QEbpetyE/edit?tab=t.0">Amanda Manley</a>, a 34-year-old ex-Tesla employee and current project manager based in Indianapolis.I was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-get-hired-at-tesla-job-interview-process">hired at Tesla</a> in 2017 as a Department of Motor Vehicle operations specialist to help build Tesla's Indiana DMV operations from the ground up. I was excited to work for a company with so much momentum behind it.Every day I went into the office and worked alongside people who believed anything was possible. The high I got from that environment was unbelievable, and I became a true believer in Tesla.It didn't hit me that I had completely <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/overworked-years-until-child-realized-work-doesnt-care-2024-7">sacrificed my family life</a> for Tesla until my second child, a son, was born in late 2020. Looking back, I can confidently say working at Tesla was the best and worst three and a half years of my life.I got to live the fast life, but I don't think I could ever go back.<h2 id="ce6a4505-aa84-4243-8b33-f1471c00019e">I didn't even know what Tesla was when I applied in 2017</h2>When I applied for the DMV operations specialist job at Tesla, they were looking for a candidate with title and registration experience who had worked at the state of Indiana's Bureau of Motor Vehicles. I'd been working for the state for five years, four of which were at the BMV, so I threw my hat in the ring and got the job.Tesla was still scaling at the time; the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-model-3-specs-range-features-photos-2017-7">Tesla Model 3</a> hadn't even come out yet. My loved ones were confused as to why I was going from such a regulated company to one that could go under in an instant. We had no idea who Elon Musk was or what Tesla would end up becoming.My starting salary was $19 per hour, and I received 19 shares of Tesla stock. I was offered additional stock alongside annual raises and during particularly exceptional quarters, but I was naive to how stocks work. I feel like I was compensated fairly during my time there, though I advise people to ask for as many shares as possible when starting at a company.<h2 id="bc2d19fe-36f3-4f24-b534-e91668eff034">I worked 12 to 16-hour days and was excited</h2><div type="image" title="Amanda Manley sitting in a mini Tesla" height="1763" width="2351" msid="115253232" hostid="261" sizebytes="402900"></div>As part of Tesla's onboarding process, I was given a 10-page document called the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/leaked-tesla-employee-handbook-reveals-high-standards-for-workers-2020-2">Anti-Handbook Handbook</a>. It was incredibly informal and had hardly any official policies in it.I was told my job would be to help open Tesla's first official dealership in Indiana and build its title and registration processes, among other new policies, from scratch. I was excited and said, "Let's do it."The first year and a half was complete craziness and felt like nonstop grunt work. I worked on a small team of four women, often churning <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/signs-your-career-taking-over-your-life-how-to-stop-2024-7">12 to 16-hour shifts</a> in the back room of the Indianapolis service center. It felt like none of us knew what we were doing. Some days we were like chickens with our heads cut off, but I've never worked with such a great group of strong women.I remember freaking out when we had 40 cars going out in one day in 2017. That number is laughable by today's standards, but that was a huge win for us. The synergy and excitement we had in 2017 and 2018 were the best I've ever seen and probably will see in my working life.<h2 id="3f7497b1-fb50-4881-afa7-67bcd32dadf5">I worked during big personal moments, like my wedding day</h2>I started <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/demanding-tech-career-absent-parent-mom-guilt-2024-8">bringing work home with me</a>, taking calls at dinner, and running a short fuse with my soon-to-be husband and 7-year-old daughter.It only spiraled from there. I justified working on my birthday, during my daughter's dance recitals, and even on my wedding day in 2018. During my honeymoon in Mauritius, my husband was upset to find me still trying to work with a 13-hour time difference.<div type="image" title="Amanda Manley on her wedding day" height="960" width="720" msid="115253233" hostid="261" sizebytes="88758"></div>I know it must've been even harder on my daughter. I remember I spent most of Christmas week at Tesla in 2018, and my daughter had to FaceTime me on Christmas Day just to see me.There was a demand for the job to get done, and often I was the only one who could do a certain task or make an executive decision. By the end of 2018, customer demand was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-biggest-moments-2018-2018-12#tesla-makes-5000-model-3s-in-one-week-for-the-first-time-26">growing rapidly,</a> and I felt like the message from management was to burn the midnight oil and work even harder to keep up, so I did.<h2 id="96772d0d-02fd-4649-a729-2576760cfa5e">I never cried as much as I did during Q4</h2>The fourth quarter was always the worst and most chaotic time of year. Extreme shareholder expectations alongside<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-stock-earnings-report-q4-call-tsla-price-live-updates-2024-1"> Elon's ambitious Q4 goals</a> meant everyone was expected to give Tesla their everything.I remember complaining about my workload. Meanwhile, others were working much more, and some were <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-worker-slept-car-work-long-shifts-still-laid-off-2024-5">sleeping in the office</a>. I was so stressed all the time, hiding my tears from coworkers and fighting the urge to quit. Just thinking of Q4 gives me the grossest feeling; it makes me want to go have a beer.Despite the difficulties, my coworkers and I bonded during that time. We were supposed to be with our families but couldn't be, so we built a family among each other. It was a beautiful silver lining in an overall bad situation.<h2 id="94af1da6-d58e-4011-83c8-e160a4ee3a08">The breaking point was when I came back from maternity leave</h2><div type="image" title="Amanda Manley's son in a toy Tesla" height="2268" width="3024" msid="115253240" hostid="261" sizebytes="342688"></div>After my son was born in 2020, I was given a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/maternity-leave-around-the-world-2018-5">six-month maternity leave.</a> When I returned, I was immediately hit with the same workload and expectations I'd had previously, but this time I couldn't physically do it while having a baby at home who needed me. I knew something needed to change. My husband worked, too, so we had our son in daycare during normal working hours, but I could no longer justify working late into the night.I also wasn't <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-to-do-when-you-dont-get-along-with-your-boss-2022-10">seeing eye-to-eye with my manager</a>, which pushed me further away from the company. I remember telling my husband I just couldn't do it anymore.I reached out to a former manager from the state and asked how he liked his current company. He told me it was great. I applied for a role and landed a job as an auditor, so I quit Tesla in 2021.Since then, I bounced around to several other jobs, and I'm finally <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/work-life-balance-financial-goals-raising-son-2024-7">living a balanced life</a> as a remote project manager. I have time to be with my family while still pursuing a career that fulfills me.<h2 id="27329e98-97ec-4df3-9638-a38aaf7f9372">I'm still working on getting my family life back</h2><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-exec-quits-elon-musk-car-company-hints-hardcore-culture-2024-8">Tesla is not for the faint of heart</a>. Sometimes I look back and can't believe I was capable of working like that.In so many ways, I'm still a true believer in Tesla and its mission for a more sustainable future, but a lot of damage was done while working there. It's important for me to make time to spend time with friends and family. I'm now retraining my brain to be in the moment, go slow, take mental health days off, and enjoy the little things.Tesla representatives didn't respond to requests for comment.If you worked at Tesla and would like to share your experience, please email Tess Martinelli at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:tmartinelli@businessinsider.com">tmartinelli@businessinsider.com</a>

My 3 years at Tesla were the best and worst of my life

<ul class="summary-list"><li>NASA says <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sun-more-active-solar-storms-auroras-power-outages-grounded-flights-2023-2">the sun is in the highly active "maximum phase"</a> of its 11-year solar cycle.</li><li>That means there will probably be big solar storms bringing beautiful aurora in the next year or so.</li></ul>Thanks to the sun, we're in the middle of the best time to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/saw-northern-lights-surprising-photos-misleading-2024-5">see the northern lights</a> — and maybe the worst time to be a satellite.NASA announced Tuesday that the sun is in the "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/solar-maximum-could-sooner-than-expected-2023-6">maximum phase</a>" of its 11-year solar cycle, which basically means it's hyperactive.Our once-quiet star has been roiling with plasma arcs and sunspots and occasionally erupting, shooting <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/second-giant-coronal-hole-sun-solar-winds-space-weather-aurora-2023-3">energized particles out into space</a> — sometimes in Earth's direction.When those eruptions wash over our planet, they can trigger <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-aurora-northern-lights-rare-appearance-south-solar-storm-2023-3">beautiful aurora unusually far from the poles,</a> in more populated regions, like Arizona or California.<div type="image" title="Shreveport" height="2268" width="4032" msid="114291827" hostid="261" sizebytes="508996"></div>But <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sun-polar-vortex-video-from-solar-plasma-break-2023-2">solar eruptions</a> can also endanger satellites, astronauts, and even power grids here on Earth.NASA expects a lot of those explosions in the next six months to a year along with the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/solar-storm-earth-northern-southern-lights-auroras-how-to-see-2023-4">geomagnetic storms</a> they cause in Earth's upper atmosphere. That's how much longer the sun will likely be at maximum, but there's still potential for big eruptions in the ensuing years as the sun winds down."We anticipate additional solar and geomagnetic storms leading to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/northern-lights-sky-friday-us-solar-winds-giant-hole-sun-2023-3">opportunities to spot aurora</a> over the next several months, as well as potential technology impacts," Kelly Korreck, a program scientist in NASA's Heliophysics Division, said during the announcement on Tuesday.<h2 id="c28a25b0-3a8e-46c8-90f0-c090be8a9dfa">The problem with the aurora</h2>Solar eruptions, like solar flares or coronal mass ejections, don't directly harm anyone on Earth, but they disrupt a layer of the upper atmosphere called <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-launch-hole-ionosphere-earth-atmosphere-physicist-2023-7">the ionosphere</a>.Some technologies, such as <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/no-gps-on-moon-nasa-esa-artemis-plans-to-fix-2023-1">GPS</a> and high-frequency radios used for navigation, rely on the ionosphere and experience blackouts during some solar storms.That can <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/flying-becoming-more-miserable-climate-crisis-delays-costs-turbulence-2024-8">delay flights</a>, since planes use both satellite and radio communications. Indeed, a 2023 <a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=8e26d9ff6e66f84cefbfeefdbced737cfc1cea9d00c54bc32fab88e9e3d96541&amp;postID=670eb5b8434c477c232fed0c&amp;postSlug=nasa-declares-sun-maximum-what-solar-storms-mean-technology-auroras-2024-10&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fs41598-023-30424-2">study</a> found that flights were 21% more likely to be delayed by at least 30 minutes during solar storms.Solar storms can also <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/solar-cycle-active-grounded-flights-downed-satellites-2024-8">push satellites out of orbit</a>.In very severe cases, solar storms can affect power grids. In 1989, a geomagnetic storm wiped out Quebec's electricity and caused other power-system issues in the US, UK, and Sweden.Nothing that major has happened in a while. But this solar maximum has been one for the books. In May, an <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-northern-lights-dazzle-night-sky-across-the-us-europe-2024-5">extreme geomagnetic storm </a>brought the northern lights as far south as Arkansas.<div type="image" title="northern lights night sky with pink and purple glow above silhouette of treetops" height="1500" width="2000" msid="114291826" hostid="261" sizebytes="115744"></div>It was "the strongest solar storm to reach Earth in two decades and possibly one of the strongest displays of auroras on record in the past 500 years," said Elsayed Talaat, the director of the Office of Space Weather Observations at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.Unlike two decades ago, NOAA can better <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronal-hole-on-sun-blasts-solar-wind-toward-earth-2023-3">forecast geomagnetic storms</a> and industries can prepare for them before they strike. Still, the May solar storm disrupted high-precision GPS that some US farmers rely on, causing about $500 million in losses, according to Bill Murtagh, a program coordinator at NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center."The bigger the storm, the more visible the aurora, the further south it's visible. At the same time, we can't be hoping for these big displays because with them comes the threat to our critical infrastructure," Murtagh said during Tuesday's announcement. "We always have to be careful with what we wish for. "<h2 id="7ab5ba6b-e0c1-46b9-a08a-6f2bc8739d3b">Why the sun is at maximum</h2>The sun has an 11-year cycle, where it builds from a quiet, placid minimum to a roaring maximum, then dies back down.The current <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/next-solar-maximum-2025-what-expect-cycle-2023-4">solar maximum</a> likely began in early 2023, as the sun began to display more and more sunspots, which are low-temperature regions on the sun's surface created by concentrated magnetic field lines.<div type="image" title="side by side images of the sun bright yellow smooth sphere. the left image labeled solar minimum is completely smooth. the right image labeled solar maximum has dark spots speckled across the sun's center." height="1080" width="1920" msid="114291824" hostid="261" sizebytes="33546"></div>"There's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sunspots-15-times-size-of-earth-solar-storm-into-view-2023-11">more sunspots emerging</a>, the magnetic field has more chances to interact and increase the probability of having a significant geomagnetic storm," Lisa Upton, the co-chair of the Solar Cycle 25 Prediction Panel, which is an international panel of experts who have been keeping tabs on the sun, said during the announcement on Tuesday.NASA scientists couldn't confirm that the sun had reached maximum until they'd seen the number of sunspots start to plateau."It's by looking at the shape of that cycle, how it's progressed so far, and how we know that solar cycle progresses from our observations of the last 25 solar cycles, that we can really say that we're at the maximum phase now," Upton said.Eventually, scientists will be able to pinpoint an exact peak of the entire solar cycle, but not until many months after the maximum phase ends.

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