New research from Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering suggests the sun's magnetic field originates just 20,000 miles below its surface. This contradicts previous reports about its origin, 130,000 miles below the sun's surface. This discovery, detailed in the journal Nature, could allow for more accurate predictions of solar flares. Understanding the sun's dynamo could help forecast solar activity. This is crucial, as solar storms can cause disruptions to satellites, electricity grids and communications. Recent solar storms have illuminated the northern lights across North America and Europe but also caused issues for GPS-reliant equipment. The sun is currently at its solar maximum, so increased solar activity is expected.