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
In the Southern Hemisphere, auroras may light up the skies over Antarctica, with a slim chance of visibility from Tasmania and southern New Zealand, according to the Met Office.
—
Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 12 Sep. 2025
October is also a peak month for displays of the Northern Lights; if geomagnetic activity is high, some observers at northern latitudes may also see the comet amid auroras.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
In March 2024, NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover imaged visible-light auroras for the first time during a major solar flare and coronal mass ejection.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2025
In mid-2024, auroras were observed as far south as central Mexico.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for aurora
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Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 12 Sep. 2025
October is also a peak month for displays of the Northern Lights; if geomagnetic activity is high, some observers at northern latitudes may also see the comet amid auroras.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
In March 2024, NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover imaged visible-light auroras for the first time during a major solar flare and coronal mass ejection.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2025
In mid-2024, auroras were observed as far south as central Mexico.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 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 15 Sep. 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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