plural auroras or aurorae
ə-ˈrȯr-(ˌ)ē 
ȯ-
1
: dawn
2
Aurora
: 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
Although the sun’s latest activity cycle has likely already peaked, 2026 is still expected to see plenty of auroras, with the season for the northern hemisphere running through March.
—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 8 Feb. 2026
The solar flares also can unleash multiple coronal mass ejections, which often are observed as geomagnetic activity that can trigger a beautiful display of auroras.
—Mary Wasson, Austin American Statesman, 5 Feb. 2026
Auroras are typically confined to high latitudes near Earth's north and south magnetic poles, making sightings in the Southern Hemisphere this far north of Antarctica very rare.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Another batch of auroras occurred in January.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026
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Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 8 Feb. 2026
The solar flares also can unleash multiple coronal mass ejections, which often are observed as geomagnetic activity that can trigger a beautiful display of auroras.
—Mary Wasson, Austin American Statesman, 5 Feb. 2026
Auroras are typically confined to high latitudes near Earth's north and south magnetic poles, making sightings in the Southern Hemisphere this far north of Antarctica very rare.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Another batch of auroras occurred in January.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for aurora
Cite this Entry
“Aurora.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aurora. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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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