Northern Lights visible in northern Netherlands last night
The northern lights again made an appearance in Dutch skies on Sunday night and early Monday morning, especially in the north of the country. Netherlands residents posted photos online showing a pink and green glow to the sky. The chance of seeing the phenomenon again on Monday was slim, but could improve later in the week.
The northern lights, or aurora borealis, are caused by electrically charged particles from the sun colliding with the atmosphere at high speed. That happens far above the earth, at an altitude of about 800 to 1,000 kilometers.
The northern lights are generally only visible above the Arctic Circle. Still, sometimes - if the burst of particles is large enough and the skies are clear enough - the natural phenomenon can be seen as far away as Northern Europe. That happened several times in the Netherlands last year, including in November, September, April, and February.
The current 27-day outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the United States suggests that there will not be a great deal of opportunity for those in the Netherlands to see the northern lights this week. There may be a possibility on Sunday and Monday, as the expected slight rise in global geomagnetic activity will take place about the same period as the next New Moon, making the sky at its darkest point in March.
Netherlands residents are also likely to be able to enjoy the aurora borealis more often this year, just like last year. Solar activity reaches a crest every 11 years, and 2024 is a peak year.
