aurora australis

noun

aurora aus·​tra·​lis -ȯ-ˈstrā-ləs 

-ä-ˈstrā-

: an aurora that occurs in earth's southern hemisphere

called also southern lights

Examples of aurora australis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

More:How to take a picture of the northern lights with your phone The aurora borealis or northern lights in, of course, the north, and aurora australis, or southern lights, in, well, the south, are a natural light display in the sky. —Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 11 Oct. 2024

The southern hemisphere has its own polar lights known as the southern lights, or aurora australis, which create their own dazzling display. —Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 12 Aug. 2024

But these auroras appear much different from the northern lights, or aurora borealis, and southern lights, or aurora australis, that occur on Earth. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 14 June 2024

The aurora borealis has a counterpart, the aurora australis, or southern lights, which is the same phenomenon in the southern hemisphere. —Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 12 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, literally, southern dawn

First Known Use

circa 1734, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

aurora australis

noun

aurora aus·​tra·​lis -ȯ-ˈstrā-ləs 

-ä-ˈstrā-

: a display of light that is the same as the aurora borealis but occurs in the southern hemisphere

called also southern lights