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
According to Erica Grow Cei, a public affairs specialist and meteorologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center, the aurora is expected to be especially strong through 2025.
—
Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2024
What's the difference between northern lights and aurora?
—The Arizona Republic, 31 Jan. 2024
The auroras are forecast to be visible on Monday into Tuesday in northern and upper Midwest states, from New York to Idaho, according to NOAA.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 22 Jan. 2024
Much of the country experiences extremely long daylight hours in the summer, limiting aurora viewing opportunities.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2024
And second, most cruises visit the Antarctic Peninsula, where the aurora doesn't often appear overhead.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2024
So, although the aurora borealis is regularly present, it won’t be seen nearly as easily.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Since there's minimal nighttime during the summer in Finland, the best time to spot the aurora borealis is during the winter season, from December to March, when days are actually just nights.
—Condé Nast Traveller, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Mar. 2024
The northern lights, or aurora borealis, represent waves of light from solar wind, creating a display of moving lights in the night sky.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 25 Mar. 2024
Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2024
What's the difference between northern lights and aurora?
—The Arizona Republic, 31 Jan. 2024
The auroras are forecast to be visible on Monday into Tuesday in northern and upper Midwest states, from New York to Idaho, according to NOAA.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 22 Jan. 2024
Much of the country experiences extremely long daylight hours in the summer, limiting aurora viewing opportunities.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2024
And second, most cruises visit the Antarctic Peninsula, where the aurora doesn't often appear overhead.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2024
So, although the aurora borealis is regularly present, it won’t be seen nearly as easily.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Since there's minimal nighttime during the summer in Finland, the best time to spot the aurora borealis is during the winter season, from December to March, when days are actually just nights.
—Condé Nast Traveller, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Mar. 2024
The northern lights, or aurora borealis, represent waves of light from solar wind, creating a display of moving lights in the night sky.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 25 Mar. 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 25 Apr. 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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