[bawr-ee-al-is, -ey-lis, bohr-] 
| the aurora of the Northern Hemisphere. |
| aurora bo·re·al·is (bôr'ē-āl'ĭs, bōr'-) n. pl. aurora bo·re·al·is·es (-ĭ-sĭz) or aurorae borealis An aurora that occurs in northern regions of the earth. Also called northern lights. [New Latin aurōra boreālis : Latin aurōra, dawn + Latin boreālis, northern.] |
| Main Entry: | aurora borealis |
| Part of Speech: | adj |
| Definition: | See borealis |
A display of colored lights in the sky, also called northern lights, caused by the interaction of particles from the sun with the upper atmosphere near the North Pole. A similar display, called the aurora australis, occurs in the atmosphere above the South Pole.
iˈæl