auroras Definition

aurora
noun auroras, aurorae

1. astron.
The appearance of diffuse bands of coloured lights in the night sky, most often observed from the Arctic and Antarctic regions, caused by a burst of charged particles from the Sun which collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the upper atmosphere to produce electrical discharges. See also aurora australis, aurora borealis.
2. poetic
The dawn.

Etymology: 15c: Latin, meaning ‘dawn'.

---

aurora australis
noun

auroras, aurorae
1. The name given to the aurora visible in the southern hemisphere. Also called the southern lights.

Etymology: 18c: Latin, meaning ‘southern aurora'.

---

aurora borealis
noun

auroras, aurorae
1. The name given to the aurora visible in the northern hemisphere. Also called the northern lights.

Etymology: 17c: Latin, meaning ‘northern aurora'.