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
In November a flurry of solar outbursts stunned sky watchers as far south as Mexico and Florida with jaw-dropping auroras.
—
Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 22 Dec. 2025
Solar activity surrounding this strongest flare led to back-to-back G5 (extreme) geomagnetic storms around Halloween 2003, bringing auroras down to low latitudes during the strongest event in recent decades — two years into the solar cycle's declining phase.
—Ryan French, Space.com, 18 Dec. 2025
The aurora borealis may make an appearance in the northern portion of the Badger State Dec. 16, and the entire state has a chance to see the display Dec. 17, according to the NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center.
—Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 16 Dec. 2025
Green, blue, purple, pink and red hues can often be seen in auroras, with the color depending on the type of gas at play and where in the atmosphere such is located.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for aurora
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Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 22 Dec. 2025
Solar activity surrounding this strongest flare led to back-to-back G5 (extreme) geomagnetic storms around Halloween 2003, bringing auroras down to low latitudes during the strongest event in recent decades — two years into the solar cycle's declining phase.
—Ryan French, Space.com, 18 Dec. 2025
The aurora borealis may make an appearance in the northern portion of the Badger State Dec. 16, and the entire state has a chance to see the display Dec. 17, according to the NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center.
—Cailey Gleeson, jsonline.com, 16 Dec. 2025
Green, blue, purple, pink and red hues can often be seen in auroras, with the color depending on the type of gas at play and where in the atmosphere such is located.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 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 31 Dec. 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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