The Sun is a hotbed of activity powered by its magnetic field. Much remains to be learned about the nature of the solar cycle and its associated activity. While our proximity to the Sun exposes us to the effects of "solar weather", it enables us to closely study the physical processes responsible for solar activity. With the Sun being our closest star, careful study of its diverse "weather patterns" can provide us with insight into the non-spatially resolved information that we receive from our distant stellar neighbors.

References:

[1], [6] Editors, The Sun, Time Life Books, Alexandria, Virginia
[2] Hale, G.E., 1908, The Study of Stellar Evolution, University of Chicago Press
[3] UCLA150-Foot Solar Tower http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~obs/intro.html
[4] Gribbin, J., 1991, Blinded by the Light, Harmony Books, New York
[5] Tyson, P.D., Karlen, W., Holmgren, K. and Heiss, G.A., 2000, The Little Ice Age and Medieval Warming in South Africa, South African Journal of Science 96: 121
[7] NASA Science News, http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast13sep_1.htm