Did you see it last night? Dutch skies were graced by the beautiful Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, on Sunday evening.
The Lights were particularly visible to the naked eye in the northern provinces, but were also seen in Hoek van Holland and Enschede, reports the NOS.
Missed catching a glimpse of them? Take a look at last night’s captures:
Prachtig (fotografisch) noorderlicht bij het Wad vlakbij Anjum!😊@helgavanleur @weermanreinier @StormchaserNL @janvissersweer @WilliamHuizinga @mrmiddendorp #noorderlicht #poollicht pic.twitter.com/YPPwNUgXlX
— Tim Zijlstra (@Tim_Zijlstra1) March 3, 2024
Wat een fantastische #noorderlicht show vanaf #Terschelling mooi met de #melkweg in het midden. Wat een geweldige avond!@BuienRadarNL @NOS @weeronline @govertschilling @helgavanleur @weermanreinier @terschellingvvv @TerschellingS pic.twitter.com/bSuPumm3fZ
— Marjolein (@MarjoleinVr) March 3, 2024
Relatief zeldzaam Noorderlicht weer te zien boven Nederlandhttps://t.co/Fg7eh0Mi7m pic.twitter.com/e4qDIoqKkp
— RTL Nieuws (@RTLnieuws) March 4, 2024
#Noorderlicht op veel plaatsen te zien én gefotografeerd /via @NOS https://t.co/lNAYlmx5E1
— Bas Beekhuizen (@BBeekhuizen) March 4, 2024
How do the Northern Lights work?
Auroras are caused by solar flares from the sun. Charged particles enter spaces and are drawn to the north and south poles of Earth, where the magnetic field is strongest.
The particles pass through Earth’s atmosphere at high speed and collide. Energy is released and creates the colourful patterns in the sky that seem to dance.
Typically, the Aurora Borealis is seen much further north in Scandinavia, but they’re visible in the Netherlands for a few days in the year. 🤩
Your best chance at spotting the lights is to find a light-pollution-free area in the Netherlands on a dark night with a clear sky.
Did you see the Northern Lights last night? Have you seen them before? Tell us about it in a comment below!