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
Examples of aurora in a Sentence
a gorgeous pink aurora aroused us out of our slumber
Recent Examples on the Web
The higher the number, the greater the chance of seeing auroras farther from their usual polar regions.
—
Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Solar storms are expected to increase the chance of geomagnetic activity, according to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, increasing the potential for another round of auroras at high and possibly mid-latitudes.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
Despite its nocturnal state, the alien sphere still glows with auroras brighter than the Earth’s northern lights.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2025
What are the best places in Wisconsin to watch the aurora borealis?
—Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for aurora
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Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Solar storms are expected to increase the chance of geomagnetic activity, according to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, increasing the potential for another round of auroras at high and possibly mid-latitudes.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
Despite its nocturnal state, the alien sphere still glows with auroras brighter than the Earth’s northern lights.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2025
What are the best places in Wisconsin to watch the aurora borealis?
—Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for aurora
Cite this Entry
“Aurora.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aurora. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
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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