Publicatie datum
11 May 2024
On the night of 10 to 11 May, the northern lights were visible to the naked eye for several hours throughout the Netherlands, even amid the urban light pollution.
Because we are at the peak of the 11-year solar cycle, the northern lights are increasingly visible in the Netherlands. But even for the peak of the solar cycle, this was an unprecedented spectacle.
Just like the weather on Earth, this "space weather" is difficult to predict, but there are sources that do so and can usually give a fairly reliable forecast within an hour. For example the Space Weather Prediction Center, and for the Netherlands Noorderlicht Jagers (northern lights hunters).
Northern lights
The northern lights are caused by small particles that the sun emits during an eruption. The Earth's magnetic field deflects these particles towards both poles, where the particles strike our atmosphere and cause the colours. But if the eruption is extreme enough, the northern lights can be seen ever further south, as on this special night.
