Pictures: Northern Lights visible above Netherlands last night

People who watch the sky got a special treat in several parts of the Netherlands on Sunday night. The northern lights were visible in Drenthe, Groningen, Gelderland, and Friesland, according to posts shared on social media.

Spotting the northern lights in the Netherlands is pretty rare, weatherman Harma Boer told RTV Noord. They are mostly visible at high latitudes.

These colorful lights are caused by outbursts on the sun releasing large quantities of charged particles into space. Due to the earth’s gravitational pull, these particles are mainly drawn to the north and south poles, where the magnetic field is strongest. The charged particles pass through the atmosphere at high speed and collide with each other, releasing energy and resulting in the colors visible in the sky.