plural auroras or aurorae
ə-ˈrȯr-(ˌ)ē 
ȯ-
1
: dawn
2
capitalized
: the Roman goddess of dawn compare eos
3
: a luminous phenomenon that consists of streamers or arches of light appearing in the upper atmosphere of a planet's magnetic polar regions and is caused by the emission of light from atoms excited by electrons accelerated along the planet's magnetic field lines
Synonyms
Examples of aurora in a Sentence
a gorgeous pink aurora aroused us out of our slumber
Recent Examples on the Web
The vast distance and variable speed that solar energy travels make aurora forecasts as accurate as meteorological forecasts from the 1950s.
—
Stephen Swanson, CBS News, 14 May 2024
The solar storm caused some technological disruptions, but also created optimal conditions for the auroras to put on a light show for far more Americans than usual.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 13 May 2024
Away from city lights and in areas with a dark sky, the auroras are more visible.
—Shelby Slade, The Arizona Republic, 13 May 2024
This comes following rare aurora sightings across the region starting Friday night due to severe geomagnetic storms that forecasters predicted would last through the weekend.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 12 May 2024
The aurora borealis phenomenon happened after a large cloud of plasma erupted into space last week.
—Drake Bentley, Journal Sentinel, 12 May 2024
When to look for the northern lights The best aurora is usually within an hour or two of midnight (between 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. local time).
—Dean Regas, The Enquirer, 10 May 2024
The southern extent of where the aurora might appear cuts off at about halfway through the state, according to NOAA.
—John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 10 May 2024
Though most of Idaho is in the area NOAA deems a lower likelihood for aurora activity, David Groenert, a meteorologist with the Boise office of the National Weather Service, said conditions are excellent for visibility.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 10 May 2024
Stephen Swanson, CBS News, 14 May 2024
The solar storm caused some technological disruptions, but also created optimal conditions for the auroras to put on a light show for far more Americans than usual.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 13 May 2024
Away from city lights and in areas with a dark sky, the auroras are more visible.
—Shelby Slade, The Arizona Republic, 13 May 2024
This comes following rare aurora sightings across the region starting Friday night due to severe geomagnetic storms that forecasters predicted would last through the weekend.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 12 May 2024
The aurora borealis phenomenon happened after a large cloud of plasma erupted into space last week.
—Drake Bentley, Journal Sentinel, 12 May 2024
When to look for the northern lights The best aurora is usually within an hour or two of midnight (between 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. local time).
—Dean Regas, The Enquirer, 10 May 2024
The southern extent of where the aurora might appear cuts off at about halfway through the state, according to NOAA.
—John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 10 May 2024
Though most of Idaho is in the area NOAA deems a lower likelihood for aurora activity, David Groenert, a meteorologist with the Boise office of the National Weather Service, said conditions are excellent for visibility.
—Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 10 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'aurora.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Aurora.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aurora. Accessed 18 May. 2024.
Copy CitationGeographical Definition
Aurora
geographical name
Au·ro·ra
ə-ˈrȯr-ə
ȯ-
1
city in north central Colorado east of Denver population 325,078
2
city west of Chicago in northeastern Illinois population 197,899
3
town north of Toronto in southeastern Ontario, Canada population 53,203
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