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
One image also shows dancing green and red auroras, while the other captures a darker night sky.
—
Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Put simply, auroras are a result of the sun interacting with the Earth’s atmosphere.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
It’s been a dramatic year for the aurora borealis: The sun is currently at its once-in-11-years solar maximum, when the geomagnetic storms that produce Northern Lights are stronger and more frequent.
—Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 8 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
See All Example Sentences for aurora
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Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Put simply, auroras are a result of the sun interacting with the Earth’s atmosphere.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
It’s been a dramatic year for the aurora borealis: The sun is currently at its once-in-11-years solar maximum, when the geomagnetic storms that produce Northern Lights are stronger and more frequent.
—Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 8 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
See All Example Sentences for aurora
Cite this Entry
“Aurora.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aurora. Accessed 19 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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