aurora australis

noun

aurora aus·​tra·​lis -ȯ-ˈstrā-ləs 

-ä-ˈstrā-

: an aurora that occurs in earth's southern hemisphere

called also southern lights

Examples of aurora australis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Also known as the aurora borealis in the north, (or aurora australis in the Southern Hemisphere) these night sky events get their start on the sun’s surface after coronal mass ejections (CMEs) spew ionized clouds of high energy particles towards Earth. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 12 Nov. 2025

When the light display is in the southern hemisphere, it is referred to as the southern lights or aurora australis. —Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Nov. 2025

This also occurs in the Southern Hemisphere, where it is known as the aurora australis, or southern lights. —Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025

Besides these dangers though, space weather can create beautiful light shows in the sky called Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, and Southern Lights, or aurora australis. —Samuel Badman, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, literally, southern dawn

First Known Use

circa 1734, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for aurora australis

• bailies
• dailies
• israelis

Kids Definition

aurora australis

noun

aurora aus·​tra·​lis -ȯ-ˈstrā-ləs 

-ä-ˈstrā-

: a display of light that is the same as the aurora borealis but occurs in the southern hemisphere

called also southern lights