Explained: Why the sun is about to turn upside down (sort of)

YOU won't be able to see it but something big is about to happen. Everything is about to change in the sky above us. Everything. Here is why.

You won't see it but the sun is about to change dramatically. Picture: Thinkstock

DON'T look at it for too long, but the sun is about to turn upside down - in a way.

The sun's magnetic field is about to flip with its opposing magnetic poles switching places, TIME reports. That means north will become south, top to bottom.

The reversal happens every 11 years in a cycle which has continued for millions of years.

What does this mean for us? Nothing that we know of - no effect has been observed on the human body - but there is a complication.

The magnetic shift coincides with a "solar maximum" when the sun sends particularly intense bursts of particles streaming into space, which can potentially affect earthly technologies such as satellite communications andpower grids.

Scientists are not sure when the magnetic reversal will complete, although it has slowly been underway since winter.

They will know for certain on December 7, when the sun's solar south pole comes into view.

Read more at TIME