Northern Lights visible over the Netherlands last night; may return tonight

The Northern Lights were visible in several places in the Netherlands on Sunday night. Several locals managed to capture beautiful photos of the natural phenomenon. The Northern Lights might still be visible again tonight, but the chances are lower, according to the forecast.

The Northern Lights are identifiable by green, blue, pink and violet bands that appear in the sky after electrons traveling rapidly reach Earth's atmosphere. The lights we see in the night sky are caused by activity on the surface of the Sun. Solar storms give out huge clouds of electrically charged particles which eventually collide with the Earth.

This is a rare occurrence in the Netherlands, and it is nearly impossible to predict in advance. “You can't know the exact moment," Jaco van Wezel of Weeronline told NL Times. “We just have to wait and see."

The general rule is that the further north in the Netherlands, the better the chances of witnessing the phenomenon. "The Wadden Islands are usually the best places to see it," van Wezel added.

He explained that the northern lights are sometimes expected but not visible to the naked eye. "It depends on their brightness," he noted. However, they can often be captured with a photo camera.

Certain indicators can hint at the likelihood of the event. "The indicators for tonight don't look very favorable," he said. However, that does not mean people should not be on the lookout. "Last week, despite unfavorable indicators, the northern lights were visible. So it’s very unpredictable,” he concluded.