Are aurora borealis actually extremely rare in the Netherlands?

Are aurora borealis actually extremely rare in the Netherlands? - Aurora Borialis

Aurora borealis are rare in the Netherlands. But is it as rare as seeing one in lower latitude countries (like those in the mediterranean)? Is there more probability of seeing an aurora in the Netherlands than in other lower latitude countries (e.g., France or Spain), or is the likelihood roughly the same?



Best Answer

Depending on where you are within the country it is a 'once in a lifetime' occurance or maybe a 'once in a year' one.

There are locations which have no light polution to the north, good open flat country or sea. In such location it is less unlikely to see the coloured light in the sky, but it is still very rare and I am told never the overwhelming experience it can be more to the north.

I have never seen them, in more than half a century in the Netherlands, my brother who lives in the same village a few times, but he is often about in his car by night, I am not.

As far as I understand your chances of seeing the lights are much more rare in France, only a few locations it is possible at all, no chance further south.




Pictures about "Are aurora borealis actually extremely rare in the Netherlands?"

Are aurora borealis actually extremely rare in the Netherlands? - Photo of Aurora Borealis at Night Time
Are aurora borealis actually extremely rare in the Netherlands? - Aurora Borealis
Are aurora borealis actually extremely rare in the Netherlands? - Scenic View Of Snow Capped Mountains During Night



Can the Northern Lights be seen from the Netherlands?

The Netherlands is the most southern European country where the Northern Lights are still visible.

What country has the most aurora borealis?

One of the world's best locations to behold the aurora borealis, Canada is home to 80-90% of all accessible land located under the Aurora Oval, the area with the strongest geomagnetic activity\u2014producing the world's brightest and most frequent displays of the northern lights.

How rare is seeing the Northern Lights?

To observers at far-northern latitudes, they're a frequent occurrence, but many who live in more temperate climates have never seen them, even though they're sometimes seen as far south as 35 degrees north latitude.

What is the most rare color of the Northern Lights?

It's extremely rare to have an aurora without green. Green is the color people usually have in mind when they think of aurora. Above ~250km of altitude, the entities are extremely isolated and scares. The general density of the atmosphere is so low that particles rarely bump into each other anymore.



5 Remarkable Facts About the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) - The Countdown #39




More answers regarding are aurora borealis actually extremely rare in the Netherlands?

Answer 2

I have never been to Netherlands and thus cannot share any first-hand experience; however, I know about multiple reports and photos of aurorae seen from Slovakia and Hungary in the last few years. The countries have different topography but are not too far away from Netherlands.

There are at least three important factors that need to be considered:

  1. Geographic latitude, or more precisely, distance from the magnetic north pole. Slovakia is at 49° N while the northernmost extremities of Netherlands are close to 53.5° N. This is some 400 kilometres closer to the geographic north pole. As the north magnetic pole is currently in northern Canada, the difference is actually closer to 800 kilometres, which is definitely a significant advantage for Netherlands.

  2. Light pollution, which is much worse in flat and densely populated Netherlands than in rural and mountainous Slovakia. Also the proximity to the ocean means higher humidity, which results in worse observation conditions on average.

  3. Altitude. In Slovakia, virtually all aurora sightings were reported from high mountains (1500-2500 metres), where the air is clearer and northern horizon is more readily observable. From flat Netherlands it would be certainly more difficult to see.

Considering all this I'd say Netherlands has a very slight advantage. Extrapolating further south:

  • Northern France is not far away from Netherlands, it is also flat and light-polluted. Basically the same arguments apply and aurora sighting frequency should be comparable, maybe slightly lower.
  • Southern France is much further from the magnetic north pole but has the advantage of very high mountains and lower light pollution. The frequency of aurora sightings should be slightly lower for high-altitude sites but definitely much lower at low altitudes.
  • Spain is even further out to the south, but rural areas are at relatively high altitudes and light pollution is low. A quick search of the internet reveals aurorae have already been observed from Spain, but seem to be very rare.
  • In southern Spain, aurorae are extremely rare, but probably still possible during times of exceptional solar activity.

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Pixabay, Pixabay, Frans van Heerden, stein egil liland