Witnessing the glorious Northern Lights is a sight on plenty of people’s bucket lists - normally requiring a trip to Norway, Iceland or even further afield - but this week, residents of parts of northern Germany were lucky enough to be able to catch a glimpse of the phenomenon right outside their front doors!

Aurora borealis visible in northern and eastern Germany

Watching the ethereal lights of the aurora borealis dance in the sky above is not something you get to do every week in Germany, but some people in the north and the east of the country were able to do just that last weekend.

Although normally only visible in the northernmost part of the globe, last weekend the celestial spectacle was flickering over Brandenburg, Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony, among other places. 

The Northern Lights were visible to the naked eye, the brightest they've been since 2015. The main period of activity began just after midnight on Sunday, March 13, and lasted for around half an hour. Some people were able to capture it in action. 

What causes the Northern Lights to shine?

The aurora is created when charged particles from solar winds hit the earth’s atmosphere and are made to glow by the earth’s magnetic field - producing the beautiful waves of light. The intensity and frequency of auroras is related to the activity of the sun, and so they are usually strongest in January and February. Although the colour varies greatly, green and red shades are most common. 

In order for the aurora to appear, the weather also has to play ball, with low temperatures and low humidity both being crucial.