Northern Lights, comets illuminate Germany’s night skies

Astronomers were in for a treat in Germany this weekend as the night skies were lit up by comets and the Northern Lights.

“The Northern Lights were easily visible on Saturday night, because it was very clear in many regions in Germany,” the German Weather Service (DWD) said on Sunday.

Several media outlets carried impressive photos from amateur photographers showing the phenomenon, which occurs when charged particles released by the Sun collide with gases in the atmosphere of the Earth.

The spectacle could also be visible on Sunday night where skies remain clear, the DWD said, along with two comets dubbed “Swan” and “Lemmon.”

The latter is a periodic comet, a term for objects that are visible from Earth at intervals. Lemmon was last visible around 1,320 years ago and will return in 1,410 years, according to Uwe Pilz, chairman of the Association of Friends of the Stars.

Comets are several billion years old and date back to the early days of the solar system. They consist of a mixture of ice, dust and rock.