aurora

noun

au·ro·ra | \ ə-ˈrȯr-ə

, ȯ-\

plural auroras or aurorae\ -(ˌ)ē

Definition of aurora

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

Aurora

geographical name

Au·ro·ra | \ ə-ˈrȯr-ə

, ȯ-\

Definition of Aurora (Entry 2 of 2)

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

Other Words from aurora Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about aurora

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Examples of aurora in a Sentence

Noun

a gorgeous pink aurora aroused us out of our slumber

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The best, most intense auroras appear when Earth is subjected to an onslaught from a solar flare. — Victoria Jaggard, National Geographic, "Solar flares, explained," 30 Apr. 2019 For decades, these Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancements — brief but brilliant purplish ribbons across upper latitude night skies — were thought to be a rare kind of aurora. — Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, "20 Things You Didn't Know About ... The Year in Science," 1 Jan. 2019 As part of this research project, scientists decided to create their own auroras to track. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "NASA Created Artificial Auroras in the Sky Above Norway," 9 Apr. 2019 Because the phenomenon was occurring outside the usual geographic range for frequent auroras, citizen scientists played a particularly valuable role in understanding STEVE, MacDonald said. — Sarah Lewin, Space.com, "Meet 'Steve,' the Aurora-Like Mystery Scientists Are Beginning to Unravel," 14 Mar. 2018 Now, a new purplish aurora is joining the show, stretching from east to west at lower latitudes. — Katie Langin, Science | AAAS, "Top stories: Honoring Stephen Hawking, excavating eruptions, and solving an ancient skull mystery," 16 Mar. 2018 Scientists have determined that streaks of purple captured by amateur photographers are not auroras at all, but are rather an entirely new type of celestial phenomenon. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Meet STEVE: The Light Phenomenon That's Not Aurora Borealis," 22 Aug. 2018 But these auroras are not the only thing lighting up the night. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Meet STEVE: The Light Phenomenon That's Not Aurora Borealis," 22 Aug. 2018 Those on the aurora-borealis-or-bust trail will be spoiled for choice in Finland. — Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, "The 30 Most Romantic Adventures," 8 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'aurora.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.