aurora borealis

noun

aurora bo·​re·​al·​is -ˌbȯr-ē-ˈa-ləs 

: an aurora that occurs in earth's northern hemisphere

called also northern lights

Examples of aurora borealis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Almost 15 years later, seeing the aurora borealis is a bit like a drug, says photographer Ronn Murray. —Daniel Wolfe, Washington Post, 6 Jan. 2023

Canada’s aurora borealis was barely visible to the naked eye, but an extended exposure just might pick up some of the slack. —Sunset Magazine, 4 Nov. 2022

Phillips estimates that the aurora borealis will be visible as far south as New York and Idaho as well. —Eric MacK, Forbes, 16 Aug. 2022

Throughout history, humans have gazed in awe at the astronomical wonder that is the aurora borealis. —Jonathan Shipley, Discover Magazine, 2 May 2022

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, literally, northern dawn

First Known Use

1707, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

aurora borealis

noun

aurora bo·​re·​al·​is -ˌbōr-ē-ˈal-əs 

-ˌbȯr-

: broad bands of light that have a magnetic and electrical source and that appear in the sky at night especially in the arctic region

called also northern lights