Aurora

American  

[uh-rawr-uh, uh-rohr-uh] / əˈrɔr ə, əˈroʊr ə /

noun

plural

auroras, aurorae

1. the ancient Roman goddess of the dawn.

2. (lowercase) dawn.

3. (lowercase) a radiant emission from the upper atmosphere that occurs sporadically over the middle and high latitudes of both hemispheres in the form of luminous bands, streamers, or the like, caused by the bombardment of the atmosphere with charged solar particles that are being guided along the earth's magnetic lines of force.

4. a city in central Colorado, near Denver.

5. a city in northeastern Illinois.

6. a first name.

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Aurora ¹ British  

/ ɔːˈrɔːrə /

noun

1. Greek counterpart: Eos.  the Roman goddess of the dawn

2. the dawn or rise of something

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Aurora ² British  

/ ɔːˈrɔːrə /

noun

1. another name for Maewo

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aurora ³ British  

/ ɔːˈrɔːrə /

noun

1. an atmospheric phenomenon consisting of bands, curtains, or streamers of light, usually green, red, or yellow, that move across the sky in polar regions. It is caused by collisions between air molecules and charged particles from the sun that are trapped in the earth's magnetic field

2. poetic the dawn

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aurora Scientific  

/ ə-rôr′ə /

plural

auroras

1. A brilliant display of bands or folds of variously colored light in the sky at night, especially in polar regions. Charged particles from the solar wind are channeled through the Earth's magnetic field into the polar regions. There the particles collide with atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere, ionizing them and making them glow. Auroras are of greatest intensity and extent during periods of increased sunspot activity, when they often interfere with telecommunications on Earth.

2. ◆ An aurora that occurs in southern latitudes is called an aurora australis (ô-strā|||PRIMARY_STRESS|||lĭs) or southern lights. When it occurs in northern latitudes it is called an aurora borealis (bôr′ē-ăl|||PRIMARY_STRESS|||ĭs) or northern lights.

3. See also magnetic storm

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Usage

What is an aurora? An aurora is a natural light display in the sky that is caused by particles from the sun interacting with a planet’s magnetic field.The most well-known aurora is the aurora borealis, the shimmering display of colorful lights that sometimes appears in Earth’s Northern Hemisphere. The phenomenon is also commonly called the northern lights. The aurora that occurs in the Southern Hemisphere is called aurora australis or the southern lights. (The word borealis is Latin for boreal, which simply means “northern.” The word australis is Latin for austral, which simply means “southern.”)On Earth, auroras appear in many colors ranging from green and pink to red, yellow, and blue. Both the northern and southern versions can be called aurora polaris because they occur around Earth’s poles, but this term is not commonly used.Auroras are not exclusive to Earth and occur on every planet in our solar system except Mercury.

Other Word Forms

• auroral adjective
• aurorally adverb

Etymology

Origin of Aurora

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin aurōra “dawn, dawn goddess,” east

Example Sentences

"He is alive -- that was what I was most afraid about," Superlano's wife Aurora Silva told reporters.

From Barron's

“Cabello has a great deal to lose and is likely to recognize that among Washington’s demands, his removal could surface sooner rather than later,” said Daniel Lansberg-Rodriguez of Aurora Macro Strategies.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, graced our skies multiple times in 2025, as the Sun's 11-year cycle of activity peaked.

From BBC

Alicia is bringing Aurora to life for the stage adaptation of Sleeping Beauty by Central Theatre in Chatham this festive period.

From BBC

Aurora Borealis, as the green lights dancing across the sky are known formally, are caused by charged sun particles interacting with the Earth’s magnetic field, which is most intense at the poles.

From The Wall Street Journal